in the NT, with benefits exceeding their costs for the Aboriginal people, but it also made many recommendations for change. After examination of the recommendations by various bodies in the following years, the Northern Territory Government and the Land Councils produced a joint response in June 2003, in their Detailed Joint Submission to the Commonwealth - Workability Reforms of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (ALRA). Over some years, the issue of private versus communal ownership of Aboriginal land was considered and debated by many parties, including Warren Mundine, Mick Dodson, Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Noel Pearson and others. Tom Calma, as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, said in his Native Title Report 2005 that it was "not necessary to put the communal tenure of Indigenous land at risk" by converting to individual freehold titles. It was agreed that there were benefits in the new proposals, but various details were debated at length. Following the Government making changes to the ALRA in 2005, Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) expressed concern about Land Council funding and function changes and the establishment of new Land Councils. Tom Calma commented at length in July 2006, starting with three main concerns: that the amendments had been made without the full understanding and consent of traditional owners and Indigenous Northern Territorians; that the intention of the amendments was to reduce the capacity for Indigenous people to have decision making influence over their lands; and that it was likely that the amendments would have a range of negative impacts on Indigenous peoples’ rights and interests. On 17 August 2006, the Howard Government amended the Act. The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment Bill 2006, in effect from 1 July 2007, added several clauses intended to promote economic development in remote townships. Among these, low-interest loans were provided to promote private home ownership. The amendment does away with communal ownership of certain parcels of lands previously vested as parts of inalienable Aboriginal Land Trusts. The summary of the amendments includes the following effects of the amendments: they "increase access to Aboriginal land for development, especially exploration and mining; facilitate the leasing of Aboriginal land and the mortgaging of leases; provide for a tenure system for townships on Aboriginal land that will allow individuals to have property rights; devolve decision-making powers to regional Aboriginal communities", and change the provisions governing land councils to