NCAC News March 2017 COUNCIL (Aboriginal Corporation) ICN: 101

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE: John Thurtell My name is John Thurtell and since to do what I can to speak up for them decisions about what the Council, the August 2016, I am an Independent and make sure that Government people Health Service and Ser- Director of the Ngaanyatjarra Coun- in and Canberra know about the vices should be doing now and in the cil, Ngaanyatjarra Health Service and Ngaanyatjarra people and communities future. Ngaanyatjarra Services. and what they want and need from Gov- Being a Director is an important job - ernment. I have worked in Aboriginal Affairs in there’s lots of listening, lots of talking, and other parts of the I also want to do what I can to make sure lots of thinking, and lots of decisions country for 22 years now - firstly with that the Ngaanyatjarra Council and its to make. The Directors are responsible Government, then as a consultant doing businesses are working well and to make for making sure that the Ngaanyatjarra work for Aboriginal people and other sure that the Clinics and other health Council, the Ngaanyatjarra Health Ser- groups and then I worked for a few years services are providing good quality vice and Ngaanyatjarra Services are on with Woodside and Chevron to roll out health care to the Ngaanyatjarra people. the right track and making sure that the their Native Title Agreements. I finished voices of the Ngaanyatjarra people are There are a few different parts to being up with Chevron in November 2016 and heard. an Independent Director. One part in- I’m working for myself again now in Ab- volves listening to the staff who talk to One more thing to know about me is original Affairs. all of the Directors at Board meetings that I’m a big Essendon Bombers fan. Over the years I have done a lot of about how things are going and what Hopefully Essendon are going to have a work and spent a fair bit of time in the issues they are working on. good year in 2017 after a few years in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. I am on the Board wilderness! Another part involves working with the because I love the Ngaanyatjarra Lands other Directors and the staff to make and the Ngaanyatjarra people and I want STAFF PROFILE: Tony Jennison I was born in Burra which is in country McLean, John Thurtell and Clint Shaw. I am very pleased to return to Ngaan- South Australia about 160kms north of I then spent over 11 years in the HR yatjarra Council to as the organisations’ Adelaide. I went to school in both Burra department at the Town Chief Operating Officer. I have been and Adelaide and then became a pri- Council, mainly as their Manager HR. made very welcome on my return and mary school teacher, working mainly have been impressed as to how much I enjoy living in Alice Springs and am in Whyalla and also SA’s Riverland and the organisation has grown. It was great involved in a number of community Mid North. Later I established my own to return to the lands recently and visit organisations such as Rotary, Henley Industry training company in Adelaide the Wingellina and Blackstone commu- on Todd, Friend of the Larapinta Trail called “The Training Force”. nities, met the Council board and attend and the Alice Springs Tennis Associa- the March Ngaanyatjarra Council meet- I relocated to Alice Springs in 1999 and tion. My hobbies include playing tennis, ing. worked in a variety of jobs including camping, bush walking and travelling. I book shop manager, taxi driver and follow the Adelaide Crows in the AFL I have a strong commitment to Ngaan- tour guide. I first came to Ngaanyat- competition and have a soft spot for the yatjarra Council and hope I can use my jarra Council as the Human Resource St George Dragon’s in the NRL. I am skills and experience to assist the organ- Manager and worked in this role from lucky enough to be visiting the USA for isation and its people in the key Chief 2003-2005. Some of the people that the first time in September/October this Operating Officer role. were around in those days that are still year to follow Route 66 from Chicago to here include Gerard Coffey, Damien California.

EDUCATION The Wingellina High School Class has among the High School Class. These in- is also embarking on a ‘Keep Wingellina experienced an exciting change this term clude Parkour, Motorbike Mechanics, Ra- Beautiful’ Campaign. Students are pick- with the introduction of ‘Big Picture’ ed- dio Presenting, Drawing, Softball, Foot- ing up rubbish around the community on ucation. Big Picture is all about making ball and Music. a weekly basis and will be painting art- education relevant to a student’s life and works on rubbish bins. Big Picture education also facilitates work the community in which they live. If a experience placements and internships in student is pursuing their own interests, the local community and further afield. whatever that may be, the student is more The school is in the process of organizing engaged in learning and more likely to at- work placements and internships at the tend school on a regular basis. A range Community Store, Community Office of interests have already been identified and NG Media. The High School class

Deandra on the checkout Zachariah Tracy Yates, Gerard Coffey, Adrian Ward and Russell Shephard WARAKURNA NATS MEETING Ngaanyatjarra Council CEO, Gerard munity stores and to provide them with goods and equipment to the Ngaanyatjar- Coffey, visited Warakurna Community a regular bulk delivery service from the ra Community Stores and Warehouses. recently where he met with the Commu- NATS Perth warehouse direct to each of NATS’ primary function is to provide nity Board and members to talk about the community stores. community stores with high quality, nu- NATS and the community money story. NATS is a unit trust-based enterprise, tritious food at reasonable prices, includ- Mr Coffey talked about the story behind owned by all Ngaanyatjarra Communi- ing fruit, vegetables, dairy products and NATS and why its so important to the ties as unit holders. NATS owns a large a full range of grocery items. The supply Ngaanyatjarra Communities. warehouse complex at 254 Welshpool of these commodities is a major factor in The CEO also gave a detailed explana- Road, Welshpool, in Perth, Western Aus- improving community health standards tion of how the Ngaanyatjarra Agency tralia. The warehouse stocks a vast range on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. Warehouse and Transport Services (NATS) was es- of wholesale items. From its Perth ware- mark-ups are around 6%, except there is tablished in Perth in 1984 to handle the house NATS operates a regular bulk truck no mark-up on fruit and vegetables. requirements of all Ngaanyatjarra Com- freight service transporting all kinds of

Kelman Foley Murray Smith

Don’t break the rules JAMESON COMMUNITY YOUTH CENTRE The Jameson Community Youth Centre school - but only if they’ve been to school The Community has future plans to ex- has re-opened after extensive renova- that day. tend the Centre to incorporate a Gym tions and upgrades. There is a lot of new and Boxing ring in the old mechanics On school days Jameson kids can use equipment available such as XBoxes, ta- building next door. the Centre from 3pm until 5:30, and af- ble tennis, table soccer, a pool table and a ter dinner from 6:30 until 8pm. Then the big screen TV. The Youth Centre is open adults get to take over until 10pm. On every day and kids are welcome after weekends the Centre is open from 12pm. Sharna Foster

IRRUNYTJY INTERNSHIP Sharna Foster has an eye on the future. The School and the Community Services build capacity and expose young people Sharna is a year 11 student at the Wingel- Manager came up with the idea of the in- to a work environment- helping to make lina Campus of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands ternship as a way of encouraging students young people in communities more em- School who has recently started an in- to complete their schooling and develop ployable. Congratulations Sharna and ternship with the Irrunytju Community work skills at the same time. well done Irrunytju! Office. Internships like this one are a great way to

PETER RILEY - Empowered Communities Peter Riley, the Executive Manager for the Peter’s 3 month secondment was focussed on Empowered Communities. EC part- Empowered Communities Secretariat in on support of the emerging Empowered ners in the NPY Region include Ngaan- the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankuny- Communities (EC) initiative, which is a yatjarra Council Aboriginal Corporation tjatjarra (NPY) region, is a Wiradjuri and new aboriginal designed and led program (NCAC), NPY Women’s Council and Weilwan man from western NSW. Grow- to empower Aboriginal people across Western Desert Dialysis as well as other ing up in Bathurst and Dubbo, Peter has Australia and develop a new way of work- Anangu and Yarnangu organisations in had a long career in the corporate world ing with Government with Aboriginal the region. as an analyst, project manager and busi- people in the driver seat. Keep an eye out for Peter over the com- ness strategy consultant, before coming Believing in the importance and oppor- ing months as he visits the Ngaanyatjarra to work in the NPY Lands. tunity of EC, Peter decided to stay on Communities to meet with community Peter came to the NPY region in 2014, after his secondment and resigned from leaders and to understand the best and as part of the Jawun Indigenous partner- his role with Westpac. Here in the NPY proper way that people want to be en- ships program, from his role as a senior Lands Peter is now working with a num- gaged around Empowered Communities. business support manager in Westpac. ber of aboriginal partner organisations Bernard Newberry and Devon Yates Patrick Reid behind the wheel LAND AND CULTURE: Working on Country

After those weeks and months of heavy rain, the back tracks Warakurna Community helped the rangers to make up some have been damaged around Warakurna. The North Rawlinson of the tracks around Sladen Waters by providing us the Com- Ranges track (at Sladen Waters) is quite damaged in most creek munity front loader. Patrick Reid was operating it and the rest crossings. Karrku outstation creek crossing is also quite bad of the team (Devon Yates, Bernard Newberry) was helping due to extensive wash away and sandy deposits. The Gunbarrel locating the best spots for dropping loads. Highway is the most severely damaged from Lake Christopher to Warakurna with extensive wash away and very soft sandy The Rangers also wanted to thank Adrian Ward, the new War- sections. akurna chairman, and the Warakurna MSO Robert Warner for helping us fixing the damaged loader back tyre as well as The will hopefully been made up by the thanking elder Bernard Newberry from Wanarn who came to Rangers’ work in the weeks to come with a new Feral animal give us a hand at the start of the work. dam at Karkubarra bore and a single water system with a tap at Lapaku for local visitors.

BLACKSTONE POOL GETS A FACE LIFT The wait is over! Months of hard work have finally paid off Some of the upgrades include: and the Blackstone Community Pool has been declared fit for • A full repaint of the interior of the building including the opening. walls and seating areas • A non-slip coating on the floor for the safety of the kids Ngaanyatjarraku Shire youth worker, JD (pictured), has spent • The pool has been completely stripped and resurfaced the last few months upgrading the pool, ensuring that it will be with all cracks and joins sealed up. good to use for years to come. • New underwater pool lights CDP: Warakurna CDP participants in Warakurna are clearly enjoying making pallet furniture. This week some men have built tables to go with the chairs they already had in their houses. All of them created their own individual designs. It’s great to see creativity taking over and some unique pieces being made, like a rocking chair made by one of our job seekers.

Dwayne Shephard and Garrick Robertson Brett Bidu

CDP:Blackstone In Blackstone, participants have been focussing heavily on community maintenance and have spent a great deal of time cleaning up and maintaining the Church areas as well as taking on individual gardens and yards particularly for community elders.

Lance peck has been putting his welding skills to good use, building a large birdcage entirely from scrap metal. The birdcage will be used to house any injured birds that are found around the community, where they will be cared for until they are well enough to fly.

Rykam Lyons

Travis Brown Lance Peck CDP:Warakurna Continuing working with recycled materials the Warakurna CDP are now building massive flower pots out of old tires. The CDP participants went to the tip, collected some rims and tires and started to make pots. A lot of members of the com- munity are jealous and there have been several requests from people wanting to get some pots to put outside of their houses

Garrick Robinson and Deandra James

CDP:Warburton CDP Warburton Arts and Crafts were lucky enough to receive some training in watercolour from professional artist Ms Lester. It was a bright success! Thanks to Ms Lester and Playgroup for allowing a visit with the adults to show new techniques and skills. We really enjoyed it.

Alison Lester and Tina Rae travelled to Warburton with the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and provided educational Chantelle Green, Valdera Morgan, Tina Rae, Patrina Mor- sessions at the Warburton Playgroup and CDP Warburton gan, Claudia Green, Isobel Giles and Yvonne Green. Arts and Crafts activity.

CDP:Wanarn Wanarn CDP participants are continuing to work towards making the Wanarn Farm functional again. Participants have started pruning back the existing fruit trees, the irrigation sys- tem is back up and running and all the overgrown areas have been cleared to make way for new garden beds. MEETING CALENDAR 2017

FEBRUARY MARCH 15th Council Members 15th Council Members 16th Council Directors 16th Council Directors

APRIL MAY 17th Council Members 18th Council Directors

JUNE JULY

AUGUST SEPTEMBER 15th Council Members 16th Council Directors

OCTOBER NOVEMBER 25th***Council AGM*** 15th Council Members 26th Directors/Services 16th Council Directors Finance SC

COUNCIL (Aboriginal Corporation) ICN: 101