When Yankunytjatjara woman Margaret Smith hears more money is being poured into Central Australia, she doesn’t celebrate.
She waits. Waits for clarity.
And waits to see whether the cash will actually make it to the communities that need it the most and the programs making a real difference on the ground.
She knows if key voices aren’t listened to, the remaining sparks of hope in remote communities could die out.
"We will have to close down youth services if we don't get funding, and kids will just be doing nothing," she said.
"They are going to hurt the young people if this goes away — and their parents.
"It's going to make a sad community."
Claims funding is lost to Darwin
The Northern Territory receives, proportionally, the largest share of federal funding of any state or territory.
When it comes to GST distribution, the NT government collects the highest per capita slice, at almost $5 for every dollar of GST raised.
Tasmania receives the second highest amount, but the NT still gets twice as much.
This constant flow of money into the territory is supposed to address stark levels of poverty and disadvantage among First Nations communities.
And yet, many Indigenous leaders claim very little is changing on the ground for those most desperately in need.
According to political economist and Alice Springs resident Rolf Gerritsen, that's because a lot of this money is not actually making it to Central Australia.
In fact, he claims each year, a staggering $600 million from GST transfers to the NT Government fails to actually deal with Indigenous disadvantage.
"So, up to a third of the money that's earned because of Aboriginal disadvantage is not actually spent on Aboriginal people," he said.
"It's spent on boat ramps, footy games, shade structures in Cavenagh Street. And it's spent in Darwin on an over-senior and over-staffed public service."
Services on brink of closure
The federal government recently announced a further $250 million in federal funding, aimed at tackling the root causes of disadvantage in the Central Australia.
There's still no timeline on when this money will be delivered, or where it will be spent.
Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women's Council – where Ms Smith works as chair – is just one organisation waiting anxiously for details.
"It's very unclear at the moment how that funding will be used," NPY Women's Council chief executive Liza Balmer said.
"Is there mapping of current services and outcomes and impact?
"Is there some sort of long-term strategy that it's tied to?"
The council is concerned that without urgent funding, it will need to close one of its remote youth programs – often the only spaces where young people can learn, upskill and access sports in these communities.
In fact, it's estimated at least seven remote youth programs will have to close their doors across Central Australia by the end of June, due to a 2014 funding freeze.
Warramungu and Luritja man Owen Cole, who is a member of the Combined Aboriginal Organisations of Alice Springs, said the money must make it to remote communities.
"Don't keep investing in Alice Springs-based organisations, which get bigger the worse the situation becomes," he said.
"Because on it goes without addressing the causal factors that force remote communities into Alice, leading to overcrowding and escalating crime."
First Nations advocate and Alyawarre woman Pat Anderson said these communities had been neglected for too long.
"This didn't just happen overnight," she said.
"There's a whole litany of bad decisions and money not going right down to where it's most needed."
Funding goes to public service
There have been resounding calls for needs-based funding in the territory, so that frontline services, such those in the domestic violence sector, can be funded based on need rather than population.
But Prof Gerritsen said much of the funding shortfall could be met by cutting staff in the public service, with the NT currently boasting three times the national average of senior administrators.
However, he said this would be a politically unpalatable move, as about 15 per cent of voters in Darwin's northern suburbs are public servants.
There are also concerns that funding making it to Central Australia is being spread across countless organisations, many of them overlapping, and not all of them effective.
Member for Barkly Steve Edgington has been calling for a full audit and review of existing government-funded programs to address this.
"Over a billion dollars is already being spent across Central Australia and the Barkly, but the Fyles Labor Government can't explain where it's going and what results are being achieved," he said.
"One thing we do know from the Closing the Gap report is that whatever the government is spending money on isn't working – the gap is clearly getting wider."
The Country Liberal Party recently called for a new parliamentary committee to oversee federal spending on Indigenous disadvantage.
However it was swiftly quashed by the NT Government, with Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Selena Uibo claiming an inquiry would not reveal anything that was not "already publicly available".
Governments pledge to work together
Federal Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour said she hoped to confirm as soon as next week how the $250 million would be rolled out.
She said her government was working closely with territory counterparts and local services — including Indigenous organisations — to ensure the funds "didn't disappear".
"We're keeping a close watch on this. We need this to work," she said.
It is a promise echoed by NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles.
"We're working extremely hard to service map what is in place in Central Australia, what the gaps are, and how we can deliver that," she said.
Calls to spend funding wisely
While many are rejoicing over the latest federal cash splash for Central Australia, some fear it could do more harm than good, if Indigenous communities are not properly listened to.
Central Australian Youth Link Up Service manager Blair McFarland said remote communities were continuing to live in "abject poverty", without food, blankets or shelter.
And until that was addressed, there would be no progress.
"It's really feasible to spend $250 million and make things worse if you don't spend it on the right stuff," he said.
"And that's what I'm afraid will happen."
