Aurukun parents blasted by mayor

Aurukun's fed-up mayor has bluntly laid the responsibility of solving the remote community's problems at the feet of townsfolk who should be "ashamed" of their neglect.

Addressing a sometimes fiery crisis meeting, Mayor Dereck Walpo identified the Cape York community's inherent problems of sly-grog, drugs, gambling and violence.

Political and community leaders joined senior police in the troubled Cape York township on Friday to draw a line in the sand and again plead with parents to take responsibility for their children.

Mr Walpo said parents and guardians need to step up, look after and love their children.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves for not playing your part," he said.

"It's more than a lack of respect and a lack of discipline.

"This is neglect."

The so-called tipping point came when the school was shut down and 25 staff evacuated to Cairns because the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy principal was carjacked at night, allegedly by three students, when he went to help two teachers who complained about loitering youths.

But Mr Walpo said the town's problems were "bigger than just this week".

Revealing a more hardline approach, he indicated he was willing to shut down services in the town to send a message that violence was unacceptable and would even be open to disallowing repeat offenders from re-entering the community.

Queensland Treasurer and Aboriginal Partnerships Minister Curtis Pitt stressed the importance of education and urged the community to band together and foster change.

"We will provide whatever assistance we can to do that, but one thing we can't do is provide the change or the motivation to provide the change," he said.

"That's only going to come from within."

Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Taylor said there were "lots of good people" in Aurukun who had an obligation to speak up.

"If you know someone that's drinking too much, that's got drugs, that's carrying on like that ... we all need to stand up and say 'no, that's not good enough'," he said.

Mr Walpo said the community received plenty of services from the government but it was also time for the community members to contribute to their own future.

"Do you want these services? Or don't you?" he asked.

"They're (government officials) here to work with us and make our future brighter."

The mayor later described the meeting as positive and said his stern speech was necessary, even if it wasn't what some residents wanted to hear.

"I have the strength to stand up and say what I have to say," he said.