One of the people conducting the review of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) says many of the Indigenous initiatives Prime Minister John Howard went to see on the Cape York Peninsula have been operating in the Northern Territory for at least a decade.

Mr Howard visited several Aboriginal communities, committing funds to a new Indigenous credit union and learning about new alcohol restrictions introduced in some towns.

Bob Collins is a former Labor senator for the Northern Territory.

He says Mr Howard should visit communities more often but the ideas he saw in Queensland are not new.

"Putting my Territorian hat on, I mean I am absolutely delighted to see the Cape Yorkians talking about having their own traditional Aboriginal credit union," Mr Collins said.

"I'm delighted the Federal Government's handed them $90,000 to help them.

"We've had one of those operating successful in the Northern Territory for 10 years."