Media Release

18 April 2005

Elliot McAdam MLA, Chairman

First Meeting of Statehood Steering Committee

14 community members of the Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee will meet for the first time in Alice Springs this week.

Members of the media are invited to meet the Statehood Steering Committee at 1pm on Thursday 21 April at the Convention Centre where a new Co-Chair will be announced.

The Steering Committee meets over two days from Thursday 21 until Friday 22 April and will culminate in a Public Forum on Statehood.

The Statehood Steering Committee has chosen Alice Springs as the first location to hold its meetings. Meetings will be held in different locations across the Territory from time to time.

“At each meeting we hope to give the wider community the opportunity to discuss Statehood with the entire Committee” Chair Elliot McAdam said today.

“Alice Springs is an important first stop for the Statehood Committee as Central Australians need their voices to be heard in all things related to Statehood.”

The Statehood Steering Committee has a busy agenda with the meeting going over two days.

Agenda items include:

• Examination of the Terms of Reference for the Statehood Steering Committee;
• Discussion of a communications strategy to ensure all Territorians are engaged in a truly consultative process toward Statehood;
• An understanding of issues that resulted in the rejection of the model the last time Territorians considered Statehood and;
• Planning for education across the Territory on Statehood issues.

Members of the public are invited to attend a public forum at the Convention Centre called Statehood – The Future in Our Hands on Friday 22 April starting at 12 Noon.

Media Inquiries Michael Tatham 040 111 9570