ICAN Annual Report 2012-2013
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Annual Report 2012 - 2013 Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network Ltd Ican Annual Report 2012 - 2013 Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network Ltd ABN: 62 127 786 092 PO Box 1108, North Cairns, QLD, 4870 Phone: 07 4031 1073 | Fax: 07 4031 5883 Email: [email protected] Web: www.ican.org.au REPORTS: 02 RESEARCH: 07 ADVOCACY: 09 EDUCATION: 13 ASSISTANCE: 19 FINANCIAL: 25 CONTENTS REPORTS: 02 RESEARCH: 07 ADVOCACY: 09 EDUCATION: 13 ASSISTANCE: 19 FINANCIAL: 25 ICAN Annual Report 2012 - 2013 | 1 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT As Chairman of the Indigenous received the “Highly Commended” Award in the “Community” Awards category, at the Consumer Assistance Network inaugural MoneySmart Week Awards, held in Sydney in early September 2012. I am Ltd, I am pleased to share with pleased to welcome the 11 new trainees to you the strategic directions of the the 2013 program, comprising 5 ICAN Staff members from Cairns and the Yarrabah organisation from the past financial Community, and 6 external students joining year and for our future. I wish to us from Derby (WA), Alice Springs (NT), Port reflect upon ICAN’s progress over Augusta (SA), Penrith (NSW) and Cairns. the past year in achieving our ICAN has taken significant steps towards sustainability of the organisation by working vision of Empowering Indigenous with Foresters Community Finance, a Consumers. Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) to purchase property at 209 Buchan Street, Bungalow. This is a major investment into our organisation’s long term ICAN is leading the way in addressing sustainability and longevity in our service the under representation of qualified delivery. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the financial counselling sector. In the In line with Director’s governance standards 2012-2013 financial year, ICAN built upon as set out by the Australian Charities and the achievements of its nine Indigenous Not-For-Profits Commission (ACNC), the graduates of the first Indigenous Financial ICAN Board of Directors is moving into Counselling Mentorship Program by a new governance phase in key priority extending the program nationally, to areas: ACNC preparations and Director agencies providing money management and Portfolios which inform ICAN’s strategic & financial counselling services in Indigenous risk management planning. The Director communities across Australia. With a Portfolio initiative will capitalise on the skill proven track record and our partnerships set and experience of board members in with: the Commonwealth Bank of Australia nominated portfolio areas, provide directors (CBA), the Central Institute of Technology with greater insight into the operations of (WA) and the Community Workforce the organisation and will provide a strong Development Fund, the program delivers foundation for ICAN’s future strategic high quality, culturally appropriate and planning. accredited training through the Diploma of Community Services (Financial Counselling). The Mentorship Program 2 | ICAN Annual Report 2012 - 2013 ICAN is entering a new phase of its unique and culturally specific service delivery which will be informed by its new strategic plan in 2013/2014. I commend all of the hard work by ICAN’s Board and Staff in working towards our vision of Empowering Indigenous Consumers. ICAN Annual Report 2012 - 2013 | 3 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT It’s been a great year for ICAN! We’ve been getting back to our roots in the communities we service, with a focus on providing consumer advocacy and financial counselling outreach services to Cape York and the Torres Strait, and providing value-add services through our Money Management As a result of our coordinated advocacy, ICAN celebrated several outcomes from Programs in the Yarrabah court action taken by the ACCC and ASIC and Palm Island Aboriginal in the areas of telecommunications issues affecting remote Aboriginal communities communities. and consumer exploitation through door- to-door sales of first aid kits sold at inflated prices. ICAN commends the hard work This year, ICAN recognised the need undertaken by the regulators in 2012- for a coordinated approach to tackling 2013, and wish to express our gratitude Indigenous consumer disadvantage in for listening to the voices of Indigenous the region and established the “North consumers. Queensland Indigenous Consumer Taskforce” together with consumer ICAN’s service delivery has made a regulatory bodies, the: Australian Securities significant impact on the community. In and Investments Commission (ASIC), late 2012, ICAN’s financial counseling Australian Competition and Consumer outreach to the Cassowary Coast in Far Commission (ACCC) and the Queensland North Queensland yielded an outstanding Office of Fair Trading. Together with our $85,000 disputed insurance claim payout partners, the Taskforce was set up to to a Cyclone Yasi affected client. This was foster our community relationships and a significant win for the client and for ICAN, tackle consumer detriment facing remote as we wrapped up our financial counselling Queensland communities. It provides outreach to the Cassowary Coast due to direct pathways to consumer regulatory funding cuts under the QLD Department bodies, enabling community residents to of Communities, Community Recovery / have a voice about their consumer issues. Financial Counselling Program under the 4 | ICAN Annual Report 2012 - 2013 “Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Finally, ICAN is exploring the development Arrangements” (NDRRA). of our social impact measurement in the money management/financial counseling The ICAN team grew this financial year, space, making a significant investment into welcoming three new staff members to our online Community Services database. the Yarrabah and Palm Island Money In February 2013, ICAN Communications Management Programs. We also welcomed Coordinator Carmen Daniels was awarded two new staff to our administration and No the Commonwealth Bank Social Impact Interest Loans (NILS) team, and two new Scholarship to undertake graduate studies financial counselling trainees under the in Social Impact with the University of New ICAN “Indigenous Financial Counselling South Wales’ (UNSW) Australian School of Mentorship Program.” The Mentorship Business. The development of these human Program student body grew this year with and technological resources will provide a eleven new placements from across the solid foundation for ICAN’s internal program country and includes ICAN staff from Cairns and service delivery evaluation processes. and the Yarrabah Aboriginal Community. I’d like to recognise the hard work of Majella Anderson, Training Coordinator of the Mentorship Program for her ongoing work to extend and assist in delivery of our national program. ICAN’s ongoing strategic focus of building staff capacity has resulted in new opportunities in home ownership education. The ICAN team has received training to deliver the iHome training on Palm Island, a structured education program for community residents interested in taking up home ownership opportunities. ICAN’s “iHome” education training commenced on Palm Island in early 2013, as part of an integrated approach facilitated by the Department of Families, Housing, Communities and Indigenous Affairs, the Queensland State Government’s Home Ownership Training (HOT) Team and Indigenous Business Australia (IBA). ICAN Annual Report 2012 - 2013 | 5 ICAN DIRECTORS Mr. Vincent Mundraby iis a former Mayor of Yarrabah Shire Council and sits on the board of the North Queensland Land Council. Mr Mundraby is a descendent of the Yindinji people and has led campaigns for the reparation of stolen wages in Queensland, Native Title Rights and Indigenous management of the Wet Tropics World Heritage area in Far North Queensland. Mr. Graeme Hooper runs an award winning registered training organisation, Horizons Education and Development that delivers the Certificate IV and Diploma in Business Governance for Indigenous organisations. Mr. Hooper is a member of the Board of Teacher Registration, Queensland and Associated member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Ms. Velma Gara iis the News Editor for the Torres Strait News and has over twenty years experience working in both Indigenous and mainstream media, including television, radio and print. An active member of her community, Ms. Gara sits on the Torres Strait Home for the Aged Association Inc. board and the Torres Strait Cultural Festival and NAIDOC Ball advisory committee. Mr. Aaron Davis is the Chief Executive Officer of the Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network LTD. Mr Davis is a member of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Consumer Consultative Committee, Financial Counselling Association of Queensland (FCAQ) and the National Indigenous Consumer Strategy (NICS) reference group. Ms. Janine Gertz is a member of the Aboriginal community of North Queensland, belonging to the Gugu-Badhun and Nadjon-ji traditional owners groups. Ms Gertz is a Senior Advisor with James Cook University’s (JCU) Human Resource Management Directorate and has represented Gugu Badhun issues at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous issues. 6 | ICAN Annual Report 2012 - 2013 RESEARCH ICAN & ACCAN Joint The research aims to provide a greater understanding of the civil and family law Research Project needs of Indigenous people based on consultation with Indigenous communities; an understanding of what is successful ICAN and the Australian Communications in the current service delivery structure Consumer Action