{"id":298280,"date":"2021-04-30T18:06:56","date_gmt":"2021-04-30T08:06:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=298280"},"modified":"2021-04-30T18:34:11","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T08:34:11","slug":"traditional-owner-urges-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2021\/04\/30\/traditional-owner-urges-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Traditional Owner Urges Action"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wakka Wakka traditional owner Cindy Button … wants things to change in Cherbourg (Photo: Cherbourg Radio)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

April 30, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

After two more attempted suicides in two days at Cherbourg, Wakka Wakka traditional owner Cindy Button is demanding that things change.<\/p>\n

She has organised a community forum to be held at 3:30pm\u00a0on Tuesday (May 4) in front of Cherbourg Town Hall to discuss the changes she wants the Cherbourg community to implement.<\/p>\n

Ms Button said she was “sick and tired” of people just talking about issues.<\/p>\n

“Let us run it our way,” she said.<\/p>\n

“We want it to be community controlled.”<\/p>\n

She told southburnett.com.au<\/strong>\u00a0there was “an epidemic of ice” in the community which police seemed powerless to prevent.<\/p>\n

“They know who’s selling it but by the time they get there, it has gone,” she said.<\/p>\n

Ms Button also pointed to children roaming the streets at night, illegal alcohol and loud parties; child sexual abuse, and children sniffing paint and petrol.<\/p>\n

She has called for a 10:00pm curfew in the community, more Indigenous foster carers and a return of Community Police.<\/strong><\/p>\n

She also wants the former\u00a0Wunjuada Rehabilitation Centre (now used as a women’s shelter) re-opened.<\/p>\n

And Council by-laws used to eject people from Cherbourg who are causing trouble, something which Ms Button says happens at Woorabinda.<\/p>\n

“I want some serious action to be done. We need the rehab back here because of the ice problem,” Ms Button said.<\/p>\n

“Lock away the child abusers. They are stealing our babies’ childhoods away.”<\/p>\n

In a bid to stop fighting on the streets, Ms Button would like a boxing ring set up where people can solve their disputes in a more controlled way, under the watch of traditional owners.<\/p>\n

And she would like more opportunities for children in Cherbourg other than just football, including basketball, netball and learning musical instruments such as the guitar or piano.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ms Button said she was not afraid to be accused of painting her community in a bad light.<\/p>\n

“I am so scared about what’s going to happen to our next generation,” she said.<\/p>\n

“I want to save my community.”<\/p>\n

Ms Button said Mayor Elvie Sandow had said “yes” straight away when she was approached in regards to holding the community forum.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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If you or someone you know needs help, call:<\/strong><\/p>\n