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DARWIN ICC REGIONAL CDEP NETWORK WORKSHOP

DARWIN ICC REGIONAL CDEP NETWORK BEST PRACTICE AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES – LOCALWORKSHOP FOOD , FOOD SYSTEMS AND

BEST PRACTICE AND NEW The overallOPPORTUNITIES aim of the workshop– is to enable CDEP practitioners who are involved in local food LOCAL FOOD GARDENS, FOOD SYSTEMS production and horticultural projects to come together to share ideas and experience, to access useful information and project models, and to meet with key industry and other contacts. AND HORTICULTURE The opportunity for CDEP practitioners to meet with relevant people from other sectors will support CDEP personnel pursue better practiceDarwin, and assist them in the design and delivery of more sustainable project, enterpriseNovember 11 & 12 development and employment, 2010 outcomes.

The workshop program has been developed with input from Darwin ICC Regional CDEP Network members for the following target audiences: CDEP Managers, Community Development Officers, Horticultural Project Officers/Specialists, local mentors, project supervisors and select CDEP participants.

A number of experts from industry, training groups, non-government, community development, NT government departments, health and Aboriginal organisations have been invited to make presentations and/or otherwise participate in key theme sessions. We welcome and thank participants from these sectors for their contributions to the workshop.

The workshop will be held in Darwin on Thursday and Friday, 11th and 12th of November at the Holiday Inn, Esplanade, Darwin (Litchfield Room).

Day One of the workshop will enable CDEP participants to share information about projects that they have underway; to learn about a range of project approaches underway within the broader region; and to interact with industry and other experts about past projects and experiences, future opportunities and new approaches to engaging community interest and participation in local food production projects.

Day Two of the workshop focuses upon effective project planning, strategic issues and partnership opportunities. Contributors on day two include key people from health, research, training and funding organizations who may be able to provide useful linkages and other input to support project development and transition planning for CDEP participants and projects.

The workshop is a joint initiative of the Darwin ICC Regional CDEP Network and the Remote Indigenous Gardens Network. It has been made possible with support from the Darwin Regional Indigenous Advancement and CDEP Inc.

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Regional CDEP Workshop

KEY ‘WHITEBOARD’ POINTS

• Food production - an essential service, essential community infrastructure • We need to tell success stories • 50% of the NT Indigenous population is under the age of 15 • 50% of productive land in the NT is owned by Aboriginal people • Need more and food production ROLE MODELS in community • Need Indigenous counterpart/parallel positions so skills and knowledge stay in community • Indigenous and trainers need to get together, talk about what to do in community • Communication key – with individuals and communities • CDEP is for community development or work readiness activities • ‘Gardeners in a ’ workshop or conference • Need a project business planning workshop for CDEP people • CDEP CDOs and Mentors need mentoring and support • Formal market issues – quality standards (Outback Stores now selling by ‘piece’, possible easier access) • Gender issues – are participants able to speak up / feedback • ‘Aboriginal grown and owned’ – Branding and marketing • Local and Regional market ‘clusters’ – new markets/support? • Different sized markets/avenues for different situations • Need for overarching linkage/body for ‘food’ links and action • Central Growers Market – Darwin & Top End doesn’t have, but needs • Health funding support needed for food • Plenty of funding for health outcomes yet no money for food • Local produce and health promotion – protein important, anaemia • Motivation & Responsibilities – what do people want but also, what are they prepared to do? • Food and caring for family - Women’s business, and men’s business • Protection of indigenous intellectual knowledge – of traditional medicines bush foods and . Much needs to be done. • Getting started: start small, small plots and pots, and people love flowers • ‘GBC’ Government Business Centres – part of Local Implementation Plans, Working Futures. • Nutrition analysis – Compare local ‘fresh’ market basket with imported basket of older F&V?

(And see Breakout Group recommendations from the final session at the end of this report).

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Table of Contents DAY ONE ...... 4 John Paterson, CEO, AMSANT ...... 4 Anthea, RIG Network...... 7 PRESENTATIONS - WHAT"S UNDERWAY ...... 10 Alex Debono, West Arnhem Shire...... 10 Rod Cordell, Jobfind Centres Australia, Wadeye ...... 11 James Bulbert, Roper Gulf Shire Council...... 12 David Boehme, Biological Solutions, Barnyard Trading, bush foods & other…………………………………….13 Vin Lange, Centrefarm Aboriginal Horticulture Ltd (presented by Tim West, NTHA)………………………..14 INDUSTRY PANEL DISCUSSION...... 16 NEW TOOLS & APPROACHES TO BUILD PARTICIPATION, TECHNICAL INFORMATION...... 18 DAY 1 FEEDBACK ...... 23

DAY TWO...... 24 Welcome from Dr Tom Calma...... 24

PRESENTATIONS - FOOD SECURITY, RESEARCH AND PARTNERSHIPS ...... 24 Dr Julie Brimblecombe & Megan Ferguson, Menzies School of Health Research...... 24 Megan Ferguson, Nutritionist (Previously with Outback Stores)...... 27 Carrie Ferguson, NT Dept Health and Families ...... 27 Tom Layton, Health and Capacity Manager, Gemina Corpus, Operations Manager, Fred Hollows Foundation...... 28

CDEP TRAINING REQUIREMENTS - KEY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES...... 29 Shaun Fowler, Darwin Regional Indigenous Advancement & CDEP...... 29 Adrian Mitchell, Director of Batchelor Institute...... 31 Scott McDonald, Primary Industries & Childrens Services, CDU...... 31 EFFECTIVE PROJECT PLANNING ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 33 David Garner, Senior Consultant: Ambrose Solutions, Effective Project Planning ...... 33 Shaun Fowler, an Integrated Approach to to Strategic Project Planning...... 35 Anthea – Potential Sources of Support...... 37 Olivia McFarlane, Senior Consultant, NAB ...... 39 PUTTING IT TOGETHER - PARTICIPANTS, PROJECTS AND FOOD PRODUCE……..………………………...40 Gianna Bonis-Profumo, Community Development Officer - Nutrition, Red Cross………………………… 40 Alison Lorraine, Women's Development Coordinator, Fred Hollows Foundation ...... 41 Graham Bidstrup, CEO, Jimmy Little Foundation, Thumbs Up! Program ...... 43 BREAKOUT DISCUSSION GROUPS – FEEDBACK & WRAP UP…………………………………………………… 45

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DAY ONE

Welcome to country from Larrakia Nation, by Kelvin Costello, included information about land rights, impact on community, introduction to the Larrakia Development Corporation.

Shaun Fowler, Operations Manager, Darwin Regional Indigenous Advancement and CDEP, welcome and introduction of workshop as a networking/information sharing activity that the newly established Darwin ICC Regional CDEP Network can help facilitate – the network a forum that can help carry conversations and outcomes from the workshop forward.

John Paterson, AMSANT • Issue for young people • Cause of psychological stress • Food Security • Food Poverty side by side with food plenty • Access more important than food education • History of CDEP, attempt to move away from welfare • NTER – included the gradual abolition of CDEP, move from work to welfare – the opposite of what was promised • Indications that remote unemployment may climb to 50% when CDEP is dismantled • Starving CDEP will potentially add to the starvation of children • Contribution of best practice in child protection • CDEP makes a positive contribution to health and welfare • Rich lands, high cost of food imports, history and memory with the elders • Possibility of generating employment • Most of the chronic disease is preventable, active involvement in gardens is a preventative measure

John Paterson’s speech (kindly provided by Chips Mackinolty, AMSANT) provided a powerful kick off to the workshop – we thought you’d like to read it in full.

Good food gives me long life: food security, child protection and the future of our families

John Paterson, CEO, Aboriginal Medical Service Alliance Northern Territory [AMSANT] Best practice and new opportunities—local food gardens, food systems and horticulture workshop, Remote Indigenous Gardens Network and Darwin Indigenous Regional Advancement, Darwin 11-12 November 2010 The song and performance you just witnessed were borne of a miraculous moment in Tennant Creek earlier this year when a bunch of kids from Tennant Creek Primary School got together with Shellie Morris and the Jimmy Little Foundation to create Good food gives me long life. It was a highlight of the AMSANT Fresh Food Summit last May.

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It sums up why we are all here today—but also gives us direction for the future. A couple of weeks ago, we saw the release of the report of the Board of Inquiry into Child Protection in the Northern Territory—Growing strong, together. It was a powerful document, giving substance and detail to the continuing tragedy of neglect and abuse so many children endure here in the Territory. I don’t think anyone would doubt that this report provides us with our major challenge for the future. A core of its recommendations talks to us about preventive measures we should take in the future. It pointed out that “a lack of adequate food and shelter is a common experience for many children and young people”1, and that this was a major cause of “serious psychological stress”2 for nearly half our children. Food security, then, is a critical issue in child protection. From work done by a number of our members in the comprehensive primary health care sector, it is clear that access to good food is a critical factor in both preventing chronic disease—but is also vital in benefitting families at risk. The two go hand in hand, just as the song says: “Good food gives me long life”. And, it should be said, a happy, healthy and producive life. It is for that reason the World Health Organisation has identified the availability of affordable, healthy food as being an absolutely critical social determinant in achieving good health. “Food security”, is built on three main ideas: First, that there are sufficient quantities of food available on a consistent basis. Second is the issue of access, or having sufficient resources to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet. Third, its appropriate use is based on knowledge of basic nutrition and care. For Aboriginal people food security is a vital public health issue. Access to good, affordable food makes more difference to what people eat than health education. In other words, it is not just a matter of educating people to eat good food—the food must be available and affordable in the first place. Food poverty can exist side by side with food plenty—and Australia is a good example of that. When people cannot access good food, the consequences in terms of chronic disease are dramatic. In the same terms, when children cannot access to good food, the consequences for their welfare are equally dramatic. It’s arguably one of the core explanations for why our men can expect to live 17 years less than urr white brothers; our women 13.2 years less than our white sisters. So what we do here at this workshop is one of the foundations of what we must do to protect our children and our families. Many of the projects being discussed over the next two days concern CDEP programs. CDEP was established 33 years ago here in the Northern Territory, at what was then known as Bamyili. It was set up consequent to an explicit demand by the Aboriginal people of the time that they needed a way to escape the dead hand of a life under “sit down money”. Despite the revisiting of history by some, including many in the media and government, it

1 Northern Territory Government 2010, Growing them Strong, Together: Promoting the safety and wellbeing of the Northern Territory’s children, Report of the Board of Inquiry into the Child Protection System in the Northern Territory 2010, M. Bamblett, H. Bath and R. Roseby, Northern Territory Government, Darwin, p.112 2 Ibid, p. 111 5 Darwin 11-12 Nov 2010

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was a deliberate attempt to move away from welfare towards productive work by Aboriginal people, and was supported by policy makers three decades ago. As we know, the Northern Territory Emergency Response—better known as the Intervention—has included the gradual starving and abolition of CDEP. We are seeing—as was predicted three years ago—a move from work to welfare: the exact opposite of what we were told would be the result. This will have potentially appalling effects for our people in regional and remote areas of the Northern Territory. There are indications that remote area unemployment may climb towards 50 per cent as CDEP is finally dismantled next year. That is a direct attack on family well being. And here in Darwin—over the next couple of days—the hopes of our people to actively engage in providing food security to our families hangs in the balance, even as we are talking about best practice and new opportunities. Starving CDEP will potentially add to the starvation of our children. And while you may be talking about technical issues of best practice surrounding growing, marketing and distribution of food, you will also be talking about contributing to best practice in terms of child protection. That is why the Federal Government must urgently review its position on CDEP projects such as the ones you will be discussing today, from household and community gardens through to larger scale horticulture. Not only is it simply untrue that CDEP is mere welfarism, it is clear that CDEP can make a positive contribution towards preventive measures surrounding the health and well being of our children. And that is what it is all about”.

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Anthea Fawcett, Director, RIG Network – Workshop Overview and Approach

Intro - the workshop aims and approach to the 2 days

• Who’s here – mostly NT, but also WA, CDEP people, government – state & federal, nutritionists, non-government organisations, representatives from industry. • RIG Network is a cross-sectoral information sharing, research and advocacy initiative. • Workshop - a partnership, thanks to Shaun and to Darwin ICC Regional CDEP Network for opportunity for us all to get together • Not a one off - starting a conversation, helping promote access to resources • Identifying gaps and opportunities to work together. • Have your say – what practical and strategic actions are needed?

Aims

• Get a better picture of what’s going on, what can be built upon • To link/support CDEP food garden/horticulture projects • To enable CDEP people & other key stakeholders to share info, experiences, ideas: to help build better outcomes • New conversations, contacts & partnerships • Learn about & access useful resources • Help identify & address challenges & opportunities • Have your say - what practical & strategic actions might we try to carry forward

Rundown of topics and speakers for each day.

Presented some ideas/possible frameworks as food for thought – to help set scene, different places/interests that different people/groups here may be coming from

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• Building interest and capacity to grow food and to learn gardening and horticultural skills takes time – new approaches and time frames to build resilience and sustainability

• Different garden/farm types – different timeframes, structures, and contributions

• CDEP - key roles to play in capacity building and community development

• CDEP providers have core outcomes to pursue – Individuals and communities reasons for involvement may overlap with CDEP, but also be driven by other reasons/interests

• Challenge is to find positive overlaps of interest and build attractive projects and activities that local people own and want to participate in and carry forward

Garden and ‘food’ projects you’re working on taking place in a changing strategic policy environment – action for better health and building more resilient communities – eg:

• AMSANT Fresh Food Summit outcomes • Chronic disease and preventative health programs • NT Govt. new Agribusiness Strategy • Working Futures, Growth Town’s – Local Implementation Plans

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• Indigenous Community Water Facilitator Network • COAG Food Security Strategy for Remote Indigenous Communities & food stores reform • CW Indigenous Economic Development Strategy, 2010-18 • RIG Network & Northern Territory Horticultural Association ‘SCOPE’ project

Questions/Comments: • Question to Anthea: Sustainability of RIG • Future funding • Telling the story of gardens to Government • Andree from Maningrida: small scale project, interlinked with Anglicare, mums and bubs programs • Philip T: CEO of Keeping Australia Beautiful – links with CDEP – potential for funding. Market & community gardens as part of a community plan • Deposit scheme coming in, KAB funding disappearing. Importance of linking with schools, new generation of leaders. Involvement of linking with organisations and young people. Developing group and personal responsibility. Consult better. • Omer, Wadeye: likes to work with participants – picking up rubbish is not appealing. Slow process, enthusiasm can drop off, challenges – fencing falls down, kids get in. But still interested in keeping the place clean, in spite of adversity. Challenge of divided community – lowers success of community garden. People don’t get along with each other – no ‘community’ to community garden together. Community is divided – separate clans. People will tell you “we don’t want to work with that mob”. • Move to house gardens instead – more realistic than big community gardens. • Rod, Wadeye: Omer doing a fantastic job at Wadeye. • Tim West, NTHA: it’s the interaction of the community, issues created by Government initially. Working independently with groups more effective. Social issues. • Wayne Tupper, West Arnhem Shire: lots of times we go into communities and talk without listening. Important to come and listen to what a community wants. • Anthea, RIG: outsiders talk about communities as if they were one big community living harmoniously together. Find communities of common interest – extended families, individuals that want to work together, people associated with particular orgs or programs. • Desleigh Dunnet, Darwin Regional CDEP: rather than going to large scale gardens – support small individual home based gardens. BUT – under CDEP guidelines – how will funding support development of individual home gardens?? Will the CDEP guidelines support alternative modes – how do we avoid people saying “you’re supporting that mob better than you are supporting us? • Shaun – we need to look at best practice within the existing parameters • -must be linked to recognised training, must have a ‘development outcome’ be a community development or work readiness activity. • 6030 places, 4000 people. Last year 8000 outcomes. CDEP is geared towards employment. Young population, literacy, numeracy and school attendance is going backwards. Program is geared towards accredited training and getting jobs. • Hort training as a stepping stone to then going on to other jobs. Training people to work. Training as a strategy for social engagement. • Tim, NTHA: analogy in mainstream – of his class only two still working in horticulture. Life skills, understanding how to grow your own food. • Scott McDonald, CDU – we’re not allowed to train people under age of 14. To get in with the kids needs alternative ways – working with SAKG program – can get to the kids.

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MORNING TEA

After morning tea: 2 minute discussions – ‘community perspectives’ on discussions so far?

• Land issues – development a cultural matter in communities, the mechanics of approvals an issue. WA Dampier peninsula • Is there a conflict of interest? CDEP about real jobs and industry, but participation and interest may be home gardens? • Be inclusive, offer incentives – perhaps rename market gardens and think ‘local markets’ like Islander families sell to one another in Pacific communities • Communication and consultation to make sure you are on the same page • Modular gardens, small to big • Reporting social benefits

PRESENTATIONS – What’s underway

Alex Debono, Community Development Officer – Market Gardens, West Arnhem Shire

Developing gardens as potential businesses, income generation – across 3 communities

Linking community gardens – delivering plants from one community to another

Location – close to town Sizes – approx .7 - .8 ha

Old people from gardens in the mission days – pride in identifying with family who used to work in gardens

All 3 gardens on areas which were previously cultivated Garden supervisors – one in each garden – work as fulltime positions. System trying to get off the ground – on top of CDEP 4hrs income – xtra income from produce is paid as top up wages. Jonah + Lance garden supervisors

How the gardens function: As a team, generate weekly jobs list Walk thru garden with morning cup of tea, record job list Helps to reflect on progress

Number of workers – supervisor is fulltime, 6-7 on the books – 2-3 every day (part time), optional extra hours.

Focus on growing things that people like to eat, familiar foods, foods that can be eaten fresh or cooked in stew – transitioning from yellow to white sweet Established 3 years ago, prior to super shires, with CDEP + some other funds

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Goulburn est 2009

How they grow it Drip , long rows, synthetic and natural fertilisers, efficient techniques, direct sown – learning new propagation skills. Trying to keep to organic (and cheaper techniques) such as green manure . Goulburn continuing watermelons over the wet. Collecting manure

[from the floor – composting scraps from the supermarket] Setting up gardens at the Aged Care

Supporting outstation gardens – mob from Demed. Work at peoples homes where interest is shown Gardening with kids – set up bathtub gardens at the pre-school Kids having cook ups at the gardens Senior school girls set up their own patches Trying to propagate bush foods – switching roles – teaching the CDO Alex about bush foods. Garrabarra .

Planning a windbreak – collecting native tree seeds, expanding to planting around the community.

Planting fruit trees around the community Funding to in communal and home spaces Warruwi wanting to resolve wild horse issue with community garden plots Trying to get accredited training – hands on stuff has generated interest – now trying to formalise into recognised training. Developing training materials working with Dept of resources Garden networks – working with DEMED outstations, looking at the Centafarm model Trying to get funding to investigate commercial scale hort ventures High value bush food crops Gardeners in a garden conference at a garden! ($$)

[from Shaun] – is CDEP the sole funder? Alex – yes, trying to sell produce, more in pay packet for extra work. Biggest customer is the Aged Care service, now selling off the back of the ute. Priced by matching wholesale but very cheap. Looking towards large scale production of monocrops. Workers in garden get free produce as an added incentive, informal. Minor marked foods free to gardeners.

[Shaun – a garden where food is normally free – trying to transition to selling it. [ from back of room – any probs with vandalism] – yes kids got in and trashed watermelons- went and spoke to the elders, kids ended up working with the garden. Rod Cordell – Jobfind Centre Australia, Wadeye Rod talked about his experiences in two communities – Lockhart River and Wadeye.

Photo 1-2 Small garden with and at the back of Catholicare, good of . Lemongrass as a good mulching crop

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Photo 3 neglected watermelon patch at an outstation

Photo 4 cape york – corn – rotational crops very difficult to get small incremental plantings – tendency to plant the lot at once. Lime trees – tried to sell along with bananas

Photo 5 always take local advice Photo 6 well mulched melons – not well watered / lack of ownership – for those considering gardens – this is one of the pitfalls. People come up with excuses for not watering. Photo 7 watermelon didn’t stand a chance – kids wanted to eat them!! Photo 8 Lockhart river, cape york – weeds could not be overcome – zucchinis. Local people were asked what they wanted to grow, grew with great enthusiasm and then wouldn’t eat it. 2nd and third time around more food knowledge. Photo 9 watering system – twice burned down. Small sprinkler systems get blocked, lose bits, get accidentally slashed. Switched to tall stand sprinkler systems. Photo 10 Didn’t weed the watermelons to hide the melons. Camouflaged the melons. Tomato theft!! Photo 11 Wadeye outstation - community garden – previous cDEP provider fenced off 1 acre. Came in and weeded, planted , paw paw, lemongrass, , plants were stolen. Cant beat em, join em – encouraged people to grow food in home gardens. Decentralised food production. Community garden became a total failure because no one took responsibility for it. Extensive banans and limes – local shop agreed to sell them – however the limes that were produced were yellow – people wouldn’t buy them because they looked different. Bananas were speckled – nobody would buy them. People used to look of fruit and veg over taste. Photo 12 Inter-community rivalry – shade house dismantled over ownership dispute 13-16 garden for senior community member 17 encouraging whole families to get involved, getting kids in 18 using CDEP – approach was to help anyones garden – one for one participation. 18 – garden bed in aged centre – raised up for planting without bending over 19 watermelon seedlings 20 using tyres as planting beds 21 – very popular – perhaps because of catholic ? 23 uncoordinated planting – vegetables (young cassava) then community people bought mango trees no long term planning 25 home garden – well stocked 28 small is best 29 lettuce – grew well, wasn’t eaten 31 snow – not eaten by anyone from community 32 using seaweed as fertiliser, salt not a problem 33 using materials from the tip, recycling 36 using old polypipe to build shade house 38 Omer organises a BBQ lunch for people who have worked well

Trying to fit home gardens into CDEP parameters. More ownership of home gardens.

James Bulbert – Regional Manager, Landcare & Horticulture, Roper Gulf Shire Council

Partnership with Fred Hollows & Sunrise Health Service

Partnerships are key to gardens

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August – from Bulman

‘working together as one’

Background on Roper Gulf shire – 185 ,000km (size of France) Super shire.

• Change plans to suit the area / people Projects & stakeholders: • Food for Better Health Program – education and training program – with Fred Hollows & Sunrise • Market gardens • Ovals and Parks • Weed, fire dust suppression

Food For Better Health Program (partnership) • Education & trainin on nutrition, gardening, hygiene & cleanliness • Bulman tree planting day • Target the young people, they enjoy getting outdoors which is preferable to being cooped up in a classroom • Community health centre is a good starting point – less affected by clan tensions – more communal ownership of the space • Beswick & Eva Valley tree planting days, working with younger kids

Jilkminggan One good person does a lot of work, leaves – garden falls down. Continuity is a struggle 5 acres Former poultry farm – eggs went to centres but couldn’t be sold in the store because of quality control issues – can only be sold by donation – converted to shade gardens Garden produces tomato pumpkin watermelon rockmelon zucchini chilli capsicum 1 permanent full time CDEP – Albert (indigenous), 2 part time CDEP workers. Women Ngukurr Heritage Garden – fruit & native trees Beswick Nursery

David Boehme, Biological Solutions, Barnyard Trading & other

Bush food production

- multinationals - unexplored opportunity - bushfoods in cultivation Pest issue – sick plants – not something that could be fixed with chemicals Don’t be hoodwinked by ‘experts’ – its not gospel

Food production should be healthy, if kids cant walk in and eat something because of a chemical then its not healthy. Gathering food has nothing to do with poison

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Growth without chemicals is simple.

Introducing chemicals to a growing system is like introducing a child to Coca Cola

Gubinge – Kakadu Plum High vitamin C content – but variable in the bush – got to start with the right plant and variety. Bush food industry is a new industry

Knowledge needs to be relevant to the wet/dry tropics northern regions. Behaviour of the same plant is different in different regions

[from floor – analysis of Terminalia Ferdinadiana – found results are highly varied depending on ideal growing conditions or stunted plants etc. ]

Research – barriers Competing with large multinationals and patent issues Wild can’t supply large scale production demand

Helped set up Killarno farm (CDEP), 20 people through a STEP program through Cert 4. Depended on who was there. Don’t take on a new supervisor, let the Indigenous guys run the garden. Don’t work in classroom in productive early morning hours of the day.

The benefits of the training spread out.

[Tim, NTHA – Kakadu plum – perverse outcomes – in cultivation in . Patented in USA by Mary-Kay cosmetics.]

-patent still being opposed. Trying to protect IP of Gubinge.

LUNCH

PRESENTATIONS – What’s underway cont.

Tim West, NTHA – Centrefarm Presentation (on behalf of Vin Lange, Centrefarm)

(Centrefarm were keen to be at workshop but were unable to attend – their presentation presented by Tim West from NTHA, Centrefarm a member of NTHA).

Centrefarm was established out of the Central Land Council in 2004 to drive horticultural and agricultural development on Aboriginal land. Their charter is to:

• create regional economies where there currently are none;

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• establish a process of exposure that enables local Aboriginal people to participate in those economies, and; • develop the capacities and skills base of those people to move towards independent control of those economies. Background on Centrefarm Growing to Grow model

Identifying key challenges from past garden projects: • Risk of a sole driver • Land tenure issues • Poor succession planning

Growing To Grow (GTG) Project Model G2G tackles: The cyclical pattern of demise observed in past community garden enterprises

G2G offers: An overarching entity, a single coordinating development and management body to ensure the best chance of success from the establishment of community gardens and farms

Centrefarm currently seeking funds for detailed case studies for model (has already done 2 detailed research reports that can be downloaded from the Centrefarm website).

The G2G strategy is based around developing not one garden but a series of gardens in relationship with one another, to allow for sharing of some infrastructure (e.g. a refrigerated truck) and management fees between several enterprises.

The idea is to develop not just economies of scale - where the more single items produced from one garden brings the average cost of producing those items down- but to develop economies of scope. Economies of scope are where two or more benefits can be provided at a price that is less than they would cost if provided separately.

The truck and management fees are prime examples: instead of every garden or farm buying a refrigerated truck to get their produce to market, one truck is shared between several communities. And instead of each community project paying separate management fees, the costs of a single management body providing services are shared across the region.

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• Centrefarm model – isolated gardens are unviable – need a network of gardens in a regional area, supported by a single overarching coordinating body. • Economic expectations – takes minimum of 2-3 years to turn profit

Discussion – Tim mentioned the NT Sustainable Land Use Guidelines – available from the NTHA, considers not only environmental land management but Indigenous considerations.

Q from floor about what type of staff for overarching coordinating body: Anthea indicated it may include an agronomist, horticultural and hydrological expertise, and marketing and distribution support. Centrefarm keen to hear from you and best to contact them directly: p. 08 8953 7070, f. 08 8953 7040, [email protected], www.centrefarm.com

INDUSTRY PANEL DISCUSSION – Past lessons, future directions?

Chris Nathanael – Tropiculture Pty Ltd Scott McDonald – Primary Industries and Childrens Services, Charles Darwin University Kate Peake – Executive Officer, Northern Territory Horticultural Association (NTHA) David Boehme – Biological Solutions/Barnyard Trading Simon Smith – Plantsmith Nursery Tim West – NTHA

Anthea asked each person to speak about key issues from their experience/perspective, and to comment on what lessons these issues may offer for building effective future projects.

CN: In past 30 years experience NT, WA & Qld, - commercial and non commercial, communities, schools – the good, the bad and the ugly (incl. corruption).

Good: seen a difference, more survive today than ever before. Receive lots of queries from communities about what to plant, how to care for plants.

Community consultation – not enough goes on. People fly in and want to grow broccoli, plant squash and zucchini – vegetables not popular. Overproduction in the wrong area – too far from markets. Trying to market what they grow rather than growing to feed an established market. Local markets before distant markets.

Organisational tension – need cooperation.

SM: one of the biggest problems is looking at what communities actually need? Do they need money? Economic / Social Development? Potential for large orgs to set up in communities Big operations are not viable Imported labour instead of economic development – Tiwi timber industry – earning $$ but not developing local labour force There’s a need for local Value adding!! and innovative Indigenous marketing!! [Jimmy Little brand] [Mapuru / Greatorex – cooperative store work] Range of market sizes between market and major – regional, local – that are worth focusing on

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KP: NTHA – peak body for horticulture – membership of commercial horticulture. There is capacity for commercial horticulture on Indigenous land, there are successful examples. Aboriginal people are resource rich in the territory. Need a market place. Need to transport produce competitively. Quality standards must be met. Labour is an issue everywhere – for the industry, not just Indigenous communities. Demand is only increasing and there are opportunities.

[Alex – different market models work in different areas – regional trading networks are appropriate in an area with closeby communities, isolated communities are suited to micro industry, large scale is appropriate when a community has sealed road access to a large market relatively close by. [Would be good to tell the Government that approaches need to be particular to the region and the people]

DB: Food production generally is not well recognised in Australia or highly regarded. The value of food production needs to be recognised as an essential service and as essential infrastructure along with health care etc. Needs to be on the national agenda, needs to be budgeted for realistically. Need to develop a relationship with food production. Needs to be part of education. Gardening is not 9-5, 5 days per week. Programs need to recognise that, Government needs to recognise that.

[Alex – other pressures on time in a community impact upon work time]

SS: will come and go – Food is an essential issue – can someone like Generation One employ a couple of people in the NT to share information and knowledge? Stephanie Alexander model – why isn’t it in more Indigenous communities?!

TW: We have to acknowledge that the basis for sustainability is local food production. Too common to get poor quality barge food that people don’t want to eat. Make sure investments are sustained. Contact your local member. Networking is important. Need a voice to go to Government and advocate for gardens. Bottom up collaboration. What communities want and need. Getting mainstream world help. Collaboration.

Comments and questions from the floor sought:

Don Duggan: Key Issues – more Aboriginal fellas should get together and talk about how we see it. Been doing a lot of training, 30yrs experience, hard talking in front of people – need to talk together.

Rod: Motivation is a big issue

Lesley: In response to issue of motivation, perhaps we need more Aboriginal role models, to show what is being done and can be done with leadership.

Anthea: Good to take discussion about participation and motivation perhaps into the next session…

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George Timson, NT Govt: Local Implementation Plan process: Works in regional operations centre – set out to grow / develop larger regional towns. Remote Service Delivery NP. • 22 towns identified • Establishing local reference group – soliciting their views on the future of community • Identifying building blocks • Most prominent is the future of the children • Priorities – worked with 3 tiers of Gov’t to make those priorities happen • 150 odd in each community • Strong commitment from Government to LIP process and delivery of outcomes: • Jobs are very important to a range of priorities • Have access to contacts across Government • Role is to change the way service delivery happens • Encouraging people who will think outside the square • Methodology rather than a program, shake Government and push their buttons, joining up services. • LIPs: 20 growth towns – agencies have committed to what they will do and when. Senior support. • Flexible funding pools • Connecting with funding, business and economic development • Getting a Government business centre – GBC (Indigenous owned and leased back to Government) in every community. Partnerships with Govt • BOOTS Build Own Operate Transfer Support • GBC – Government Business Centre • Australian Government funds things, Local Government does things. • Tendency not to fund projects completely – need to consider: staff housing, operational money, length of projects • No Significant investment into Outstations

AFTERNOON TEA

NEW TOOLS & APPROACHES TO BUILD PARTICIPATION – technical information and other engagement strategies

Anthea gave a short presentation about ‘why ’ a need for new tools and approaches with a quick overview of some new technical information resources and tools. Informal panel discussion and Q&A session – what practical things are underway and what ‘blue sky’ ideas would you like to see developed or would like to try in your communities?

Don Duggan – Triodia Consultancy, ex Greening Australia Megan Connelly – Extension Officer, NT Dept. of Resources – Primary Industry Sue Guilfoyle – Horticultural Trainer, Batchelor Institute Lachlan Mackenzie – Grow Your Own, Darwin, ex Permatil, East Timor Rod Cordell – Jobfind Centres Australia, Wadeye

Ideas from workshop participants: Rewards system for attendance – takes participants fishing Gardening club – about 20 participants

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Fuel cards Regular BBQ lunch Food tasting – cook ups Masterchef Home Grown competition – using locally hunted and grown food Competition Backyard Blitz Lottery Collaboration – gardeners visiting gardens

DD: Lajamanu – parklands – planted 20 years ago by Greening Australia Vision from one of the elders to make the place green. He passed away and left a legacy of wanting the place to be green. Healthy Yards competition – best house yards, sponsored by the shop. Prizes – Plasma TV, Washing Machine, Shop Vouchers.

Old houses got a bit jealous – wanted to be in the competition, had to have two competitions. Fantastic couple of weeks of everyone planting. Gave equipment, shared knowledge and expertise. Criteria for judging – clean yard, inventive, creative, decorative, Lajamanu Council, Shopkeeper and Don were the judges. First place and second place were the office workers. Successful project, successful incentive.

And the shade from trees is long lasting.

LM: is about building sustainable communities – combining best practice ideas, includes them as part of a holistic system of community building and waste management. Governed by ethics and principles – care for land, care for people, fair share.

Permaculture practice differs in each community. Projects are implemented according to resources, conditions, local situation. Sustainability as a core principle – both economic and environmental.

Worked well in Timor Leste – organic practices – (low cost) explained permaculture principles – consultation so that the community could define their own outcomes. Permaculture principles – closing loops and using outputs (waste) as inputs. Cost of importing materials is already very high – only going to increase – need to source local inputs.

[Tim West – soils are inert, old and leached of nutrients in many places in the top end. Disucssion about building soils up using local and organic material] [Anthea: Good permaculture resources available on RIG Network Website]

Megan – Horticulture extension tool – interactive that Aboriginal people could use. Guide books, action photos, making DVDs, ‘how to guide’ putting video on mobile phones. Story telling. CDU to produce DVDs, working with Alex Debono. Pilot Program at Kunbarllanjnja, evaluated in two years, if successful – rolled out to other communities.

DVD in language. Book in simple English – no difference between people who don’t water their plants! How to grow things the same for everyone.

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Rod: Developing a visual learning tool to resent the stages of preparing a garden in a pictorial cartoon form. Illustrated options. Printed large and laminated, places to add text in English and in language. Welcome feedback from the group on the drawings and concept to fine tune it.

In Wadeye the local people speak their own language all the time and so have no real need to understand English. Only the older mission educated people can read and write English. So most CDEP participants have difficulty understanding English and we thought if we could present the stages of preparing a vegie garden in cartoon form it would make it easier for them to learn.

Batchelor Institute was keen to get involved when asked and an illustrator spent a couple of days with us in Wadeye and we gave her lots of photos and I prepared a ‘script’ of 23 panels for her to base her drawings. What you see now is the 4th draft.

Most panels have a text box into which a small amount of text can be inserted (in English and a local language) for the Lecturer/instructor/Trainer to use if he or she sees the need or just use the drawings as either the basis or the back up for the training. The panels are designed to be laminated at A2 size and placed on the ground. That is 2 x A3 sized panels mirror imaged so they can be seen from any angle by a group standing around.

We intend to take the crucial steps from the 23 panels and produce an A3 poster that can be left with families or homeland communities as enough pictorial information for them to garden on a rotational basis.

My other thoughts - have a go at growing things – experiment.

[Visual Garden training tool -4th Draft – feedback and suggestions please! 23 colour coded drawings/cards for key steps - Pink: Planning, People & Materials - Blue: Preparing the Garden - Green: Planting - Purple: Maintaining the Garden - Orange: Harvesting - Yellow: Rotational Gardening

Contact Rod for copies – we’ll also place Draft 4 images on RIG website fyi and for comment]

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DD: ALEP Guides. Good OH&S info, info on land management, horticulture skills, irrigation systems – 14 modules in total, developed for Top End NT but can be adapted to other regions. Currently teaching kids about horticulture (who have dropped out of school). Practical training.

[Tim to Lachlan – is there value in community members visiting Timor or seeing other projects?]

Lachlan: Timorese are really interested in meeting Indigenous people, Timor has a strong agricultural history – and interest in sharing between Indigenous peoples. Also similar growing background, conditions and cooking knowledge.

ALEP Guides – available here at the conference or by contacting Leslie, on sale at Nursery or through Greening Australia head office Darwin.

Sue – Bachelor Institute – education and training in communities – better outcomes, better participation. Bringing training to the people. VET Education and Higher Education Cert 1 – to a Diploma in CLM

Excerpts from Anthea’s presentation - lead in to above discussions: The need for new tools and approaches to build participation?

RIG Survey Results – sustainable food gardens, challenges and obstacles Key perceived obstacles (rated from 19) • Lack of local leadership and ownership – 68% • Financial resources and support for project longevity - 59% • Changing people, long term ownership and life cycle management of gardens – 55% • Cultural reasons – 50% • Lack of knowledge, appropriate plants & techniques for specific environments – 49% • Lack of interest, gardening/horticulture unattractive, hot hard work – 49% • History of failed local garden projects and negative experiences – 46%

Key perceived drivers (rated from 19) • Local leaders to champion initiatives – 69% • Connection to country, right to use land – 69% • Health and nutrition, access to affordable fresh produce – 68% • Life skills – caring for self, community and country – 65% 21 Darwin 11-12 Nov 2010

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• Social capital and empowerment – 59%

(From RIG Survey, 2009; 65 respondees, 50% NT, others WA and Qld. Participants from diverse sectors, but over 50% in health related areas: policy, programs, other).

Why new tools and approaches?

• To build local interest, participation, ‘ownership’ • To make gardens/hort more attractive & engaging? – Good tucker, long life? • Accessibility - Language & sometimes hearing barriers • Visual & audio – story boards, DVDs, mobile phones? • Learning garden skills takes time! several seasonal cycles? • Successful community programs? 5-7 years • Spectrum of garden types & ways to involve people • Bush tucker & ‘fusion’ gardens, home gardens to larger community & enterprise projects • Set people up for success – and celebrate success, small steps • ‘Showcase’ & ‘copycat’ – activity breeds further activity?

•What technical support & information do you currently access/use? •What gaps/needs? ‘Bread & butter’ info for new gardeners, or more technical issues?

Examples of different types of useful resources that are available:

Horticulture enterprise planning - Indigenous Horticulture Development Decision Model, a useful ‘checklist’ & process – NT Dept Primary Industries (avail RIG web)

Modular Learning Guides - Aboriginal Landcare Education Program Learning Guides (ALEP) 14 modules, Cert 2

Bush foods and plants - Various publications available from most local Rangers programs & Aboriginal Associations

Garden guides - tropical, temperate & arid conditions - Leonie Norrington, Tropical Food Gardens – A guide to growing fruit, herbs and vegetables in tropical and sub-tropical climates - Revised second edition of the Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion – A handbook for growing food in arid Australia, Arid Lands Environment Centre. Avail RIG website

Permaculture resources for remote locations - Growing for for Healthy Communities, A workbook for Aboriginal Communities, Josh Byrne & Martin Anda, download RIG website - IDEP Online Permaculture Resource Guide & Facilitators handbooks, avail online at IDEP and RIG websites.

Links to useful external sites, resources, forum, register for RIG News -www.remoteindigenousgarden.net Online CDEP Gardens Discussion Group o Need gmail account. To join email [email protected]

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DAY 1 – FEEDBACK - Write it on the Wall & other…

• Motivation!? A key issue and challenge for garden projects

• We Aboriginal people need to develop Role models and share stories, leadership

• Jimmy Little Foundation – Dampier – 3 Schools – Advocate Small Gardens

• Elcho – Strong sense of pride and interest in community horticulture and gardens are considered very important. Proud history and excited future.

• Communication – Before starting things!

• Nutrition, children – the most important thing – support AMSANTs recommendations

• Be Inclusive – offer incentives – perhaps rename market gardens and look at local markets where families sell to each other as they do in the islands

• Nutrition and Pride – great benefits – don’t necessarily fit CDEP frameworks – how can they?

• Start small – keep simple –re. implementation – small modular gardens

• Land Issues: Development – a cultural matter in communities, Beagle Bay – interested in the mechanics / approval process re. land.

• Conflict of Interest? CDEP is about real jobs and industry – or Home gardens?

Project and business planning for sustainable outcomes • How do we find out where we can get financial support other than CDEP?

• What Government Departments fund garden projects?

• What Philanthropic organizations fund garden projects?

Advice for new gardens and gardeners • Garden borders help to define what needs maintenance and what doesn’t as well as improving soil and drainage

Seed Balling • Great activity for revegetation on wide or small scale • Excellent way to get schools & youth/kids involved in planting trees • Requires no digging or watering • It’s a way to take companion seeds to regenerate native eco-systems • Find info on You-Tube – type ‘seed balling’.

23 Darwin 11-12 Nov 2010

DAY TWO

Welcome to participants joining the workshop for Day 1, recap of day one, flagging of key resources and ideas discussed, and introduction to today’s focus on food security, partnerships, strategic planning for effective projects and transitional outcomes.

Welcome from Dr Tom Calma (by video) • Acknowledged traditional owners - Larrakia • Importance of young people who will become the elders • • Range of gardens • Bush tucker for food and production • Supporting families and communities and market industries • Important for people in more remote areas • Family history growing citrus orchards, root vegetables, cabbages • Value of meeting together to discuss gardens • Value of great speakers • Possible to garden using found materials – don’t need high $$ inputs • Importance for health • Close the Gap campaign • Life expectancy gap – 17 to 10 years less life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders • Cardio vascular and other preventable diseases • Importance of supporting kids to grow up healthy, eating well, getting an education • Smoking, trying to get mob around the nation to reduce or quit smoking – number one killer • Heart disease big killer • Gardens can help – not only by producing good food but also exercise • Doesn’t have to be a substantial garden to feed a family – a small plot can support a family – save you money and get access to good healthy food • Good thing about home gardens is you can involve the whole family • Learn from Asian family culture – small family plots • Grow Paw Paws – eat them green and ripe, eat the seeds • Cassava – used to grow when growing up in Darwin – important foods • Good Asian fruits that are easy to grow, citrus fruits with good vitamin C • Change the way we eat and exercise • Gardens are so important – teach our kids about gardening so they can take that into the future and we can lead healthy lives • Important for our mothers to be healthy so our babies grow strong • Get the gardening culture started

PRESENTATIONS Dr Julie Brimblecombe & Megan Ferguson, Menzies School of Health Research

Food Security – Key Issues and Initiatives Underway • Acknowledgement of Larrakia and Galiwin’ku People

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• Overview of food security • Supporting local food systems • Looking at livelihoods • Food security as a human right (UNDHR, 1948) • Vulnerable people within populations • Nutrition • Food stress • Nutrient study – poorer nutrition in communities with lower food security • These nutrition risks contribute significantly to the LE gap.

Availability -price -quality -traditional food available -access – determined by income and resources -secure supply

Food Use -food choices

The Livelihoods Framework

Assets – Mediating Factors – Activities – Intermediate Outcomes – Final Outcome • Economic development • Food development activities • Working with local orgs – store, health centre • Nutritional education

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Key Issues in Food Security Political, Economic, Socio-Cultural, Physical

Addressing Food Security: - Livelihood Strategies - Food development strategies - Investment in health, housing, water & education

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Megan Ferguson, Nutritionist (Menzies, previously with Outback Stores)

- Policy shift in NT in terms of supply of F&V - Stores licensing – minimum requirement of fruit and vegetables - Consumption of high sugar & smoking rates - Introduction of scales – produce does not need to be packaged anymore. - Trialing price strategies - Placement strategies – infrastructure & display - Promoting healthy products - Store manager and staff training to handle F&V - Tracking sale volume with communities and store managers (and nutritionists?)

Research in Remote Communities - Using scanning systems to track consumption - Evaluation of consumption and governance of food stores - Evaluation of impact of price on purchase of F&V - Refining a tool that measures nutrients of F&V by using store data - Economics of dietary improvement & proposing solutions to increase F&V consumption

Carrie Ferguson, Nutrition Policy Officer, Nutrition and Physical Activity Program, NT Dept Health and Families

Nutrition and Physical Activity Program – Who, what and how we operate on the ground

- Team of public health nutritionists - Every community has a nutritionist who visits - Aboriginal nutrition adviser - Develop action plans - Food supply, physical activity, healthy weights – Priorities for Action

Food Supply - F&V promotion - Vegie Man! – visits communities and schools - Resources – posters, stickers, tattoos – very popular with kids - Market Basket Survey – measures price, quality and range - First survey in 2000, every year since. - Since 2000 average number of F&V has increased in stores (doubled), quality has also increased. - Participation in physical activity – promoted by nutritionists - Developed resources - Member of the National Food Security Strategy in Remote Indigenous Communities – COAG - Trialling stores licensing in other states - Manuals / education resources for ‘Eat Better, Move More’

[Shaun – where is the food coming from?]

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Prices are compared with Darwin supermarkets. Prices have gone up in line with Darwin supermarkets. In remote communities, prices have generally followed the CPI.

Megan – Food is being purchased through Brisbane (comes to NT). Central Australian food is coming out of South Australia.

If people have community market gardens and are interested in selling through stores – Outback and ALPA are supportive. But needs to be a true business deal. Would work together to develop a business model. Scales now available for sale of individual pieces which opens opportunities (no need for packaging requirements).

Discussion of a policy transition to promote ‘Fresh is Best’ – being able to sell the local food – nutrition education, stores being more supportive

[Tim West, NTHA – Is there research into the freshness of produce in stores, given that potatoes can be 12 months old, along with fruits like apples?]

Carrie – Everyone in the NT is in that same boat, remote communities are just a few weeks behind Darwin.

[Rach, RIG Network – can nutritionists promote that fresh is best and an understanding of the nutritional value of a fresh picked local banana with a few blemishes, over a prefect looking but older store fruit?]

[Anthea – in the research that you are doing around market basket costs and nutritional value, is there scope to compare market baskets that use fresh local produce vs imported produce that may be quite old with lesser nutritional value?]

Carrie / Julie – there is potential but not part of current Nutrition education.

[Alex, West Arnhem Shire - barrier when stores change over managers, disables relationships built with the garden. Easier to sell out of the back of the ute – produce is very popular even though it doesn’t look ideal – so perhaps the store is pushing the ‘look’ of vegetables. Also, store managers don’t always seem to be able to control their own orders of stock].

[Laurie Rivers – need to promote fresh also as part of a balanced diet, not just F&V, as anaemia a major issue]

Tom Layton, Health and Capacity Manager, & Gemina Corpus, Operations Manager: Fred Hollows Foundation

Partnership approaches to community based food security projects

• Health programs, partnerships • Eye and Indigenous Health Programs • Partnerships which come from research or issues identified about particular issues, seeking partners to address the issues

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• Sizeable NGO, but small in the scheme of things • What is the role of a development organization in a developed country? • Danger in doing direct service provision – can remove responsibility of Government • Difficult to have a positive impact without doing damage – led to partnerships and behind the scenes approach • Complex in Australia – in African / other developing countries they can have an immediate impact – can measure number of eye operations, create health infrastructure • In Australia its more about the politics and distribution of money • Program is really founded on nutrition • Future will be the development of more cross-industry partnerships

Resources available: - Jawoyn plants and animals - Jawoyn Health Strategy - Walkabout Chef book

[Laurie – contested the notion of Australia as a developed country, only developed in parts]

Tom – that’s the difficulty of delivering services, danger is that it allows services to not deliver.

[Lachlan – have you seen any changes on the ground since the intervention?] Gemina – people in communities are our biggest partners, we are about supporting and working with them.

Tom – we try to allow people to develop their own programs rather than imposing. I see a lot of anxiety and stress about the way that things have happened.

MORNING TEA

KEY ISSUES IN SUSTAINABLE PROJECT AND TRANSITION PLANNING

Shaun Fowler, Darwin Regional Indigenous Advancement & CDEP, Adrian Mitchell, Director BIITE, Scott MacDonald, Primary Industries and Childrens Services, CDU CDEP Training Requirements – Key Issues & Opportunities

- Juggling act between community expectations and FAHCSIA expectation - Problem of training for trainings sake - Aversion to classroom based training - Linking training to activity being undertaken - FAHCSIA requirement that training be Cert 1 or higher - Push for FAHCSIA to recognize with payable incentives informal training / short vocational courses as preparation for work readiness, engagement - Because – yet to see accredited training actually linked to employment outcomes – no literature to how that occurs

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- Work experience more important, demonstrable soft skills, workplace readiness, life skills - Practical examples of short courses leading to employment

Challenges - getting accredited trainers out to communities - difficult ensuring participant numbers - quality of the trainer on the ground, needs to be a mentoring role to support participants to get through the training. - Need consideration of the social context of training - Matching the requirements of a cert one course to practical experience - Engagement and retention in training - Funding

Solutions

- Working together within a region - Connecting participants from different communities - Training needs analysis for communities - Strategic engagement of trainers - Develop capacity of existing staff to deliver training (building on existing trust relationships) - Engaging local leaders/mentors - Auspicing local mentor to deliver training through the status of another RTO - Funding to develop capacity of staff, particularly indigenous staff - Can become a potential revenue source (delivering training) – can direct revenue towards projects - Don’t underestimate importance of transport and catering to engage and retain training participants. Community support worker on call – significant support that can assist with family problems. - Can be expensive but can break even. - Utilise Indigenous Community Volunteers; ICV can provide non-accredited training. Free resource - Wrap around funding; need to look at wide range of available funding - JSA funding deed – the deeds are publicly available - Ensuring best practice – use RIG Network to share best practice

New training package coming – not yet nationally endorsed, but it will be…looking at rolling in , Horticulture, Rural Skills into one training package

Industry Skills Council – Agrifood Skills Australia – has anyone utilized them?

[Desleigh: Funded appropriate language literacy and numeracy skills – based on remote indigenous community training. Developed a resource that supports other training package to develop appropriate skills and opportunities.]

Could be good potential to link CDEP in with them.

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Adrian Mitchell, Director of Batchelor Institute

• In 2002 appointed to managing director of Kimberley Tafe. Visited a Balgo awards presentation, discovered the problem of handing out certificates for certificates sake, not linked to outcomes or improvement in peoples lives • Government funding for training but not really providing outcomes • Decided to only do training that is supported by the community and aligned with existing opportunities and outcomes • Opportunities with mentors & training coordinators so that lecturers don’t have to worry about attendance • The importance of support • Lecturers flying in / flying out doesn’t work • Action learning – adds to improved learning outcomes • Can come to the table, want to develop long term relationships, long term vision – identify training that is a priority not just to access outcome payments • Lets fund outcomes not stick to formulas created by Government • Real outcomes can make a difference even if its only 3-6 rather than 10 (min number for training usually) • Issues to sort through – happy to engage, committed to finding solutions • Training should be outcome based, build momentum, snowball • Want to work where there is community ownership, collaborating

Scott MacDonald

Overview of RTOs • Public and private providers • Public are eligible for recurrent funding • Have the ability to get out to communities and deliver cheap or nearly free training • Private trainers don’t have access to government funding, need to get funding through Job Service Providers (JSP) • Public RTOs only get a limited amount of funding • Funding being eroded, never been increased, being pushed to charge fee for service • Fee for service would make the cost prohibitive (i.e. chainsaw training would cost $800 per student) • Can’t service every community or program as much as would like to as tied to funding constraints and issues with student numbers • Always worked to offset remote programs so that remote programs can continue • Having more students does create a better learning environment but not tied to student numbers • AHC10 training package ‘ash’ merged conservation land management, agriculture and horticulture into one package. Benefits – there were a lot of common units in the three • Gone to national quality council for endorsement, long process to get training endorsed and then accredited. • On the ground, students won’t notice the difference. Course codings are what is changing plus a few new units • Will have both a teach out period or will accredit people into the new system

Shaun – New CLM and Hort package proposed – AHC10 docs available to view

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Scott – Certificate called Rural Operations; allows you to draw in units of competency from all the different streams: tourism, land management, fencing, ranger work, horticulture, fish stuff….to build a single qualification.

[Desleigh: used it for the vet in schools – used Rurap Ops, , Horticulture – great retention, completed every single student]

Max, Kullari Regional CDEP Inc. WA – seconding Shaun’s statements about auspicing trainers through recognized RTOs very effective – used it for hairdressing. Using their training materials and KRCI trainer.

Another approach – community members have been engaged to train in non-accredited auto training, after 6 months an RTO on scope to become accredited training by assessing the work already undertaken. We can do it because we have so many staff who do a lot of training and have a Cert IV in training]

Shaun – it is a risk to RTOs who can lose their status, important to monitor

Scott – heavily regulated – someone works 15-20 hours per week for one training team preparing for audits

Max – high levels of monitoring very important

Desleigh – continuity – trainers being across more than one package and being able to deliver – uses strong existing relationships, trust etc. Competition around who is going to get the funding.

Scott – trying to break down competition barriers – VERY difficult to find remote area lecturers – ability to work in Indigenous communities, industry competencies. Payments are a bit flexible but ultimately capped. There are some incentives for CDU remote area trainers

Tom – Fred Hollows; you could work on continuity by splitting industry bit and having the trainer based in community, local trainer?

Desleigh – working with a trusted trainer – importance of established relationships Will try to consolidate training opportunities – work through established relationships

Alex - Can there be continuity from the mentors? So the guys know ‘this blokes all right, we will listen to what he says’

Shaun – some CDEP orgs do not employ mentors. Important to have a mentor on the ground

Lachlan – permaculture is now able to be taught at an accredited level – what about non- accredited training: can you expand on non accredited training if a community wants technical input?

Shaun – CDEP delivers a wide variety of non accredited training, can be a very broad range could just be work skills, fitness for work, health and hygiene, life skills FAHCSIA have got a fascination with Cert 1 which is a disincentive for non-accredited trianin

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Scott – but we can recognize some stuff and give credit or it. Try to identify what skills are wanted, build.

Omer – I can talk about welding course – but no one will want to work as a welder. Is there anything that is designed to actually question what they really want to work in? Rather than just get a certificate? To get into the workforce – no point in training if they don’t want to work in that area

Shaun – two sides to that – there are orgs that are delivering aspirational programs – giving young people a taste – ‘try a trade days’ opportunities for young people. Flip side – don’t underestimate the importance of engaging young people. Probably 70% of people who go through construction don’t want to work in construction, but helps to get an idea of what they do want to do.

Adrian: Importance of empowerment to make decisions, literacy and numeracy, address self esteem

Mentors: how do people who end up being mentors get support?

Shaun - FAHCSIA are building capacity of CDOs to be supported and become mentors. Providers are putting bids in their models to deliver mentoring assistance Indigenous mentor development program – develop 20 people who are currently employed to become Cert 4 Mentors. Wellness programs – network of mentors to support each other, fantastic executive coach rolling that model out across the top end. Happy to give everyone the documentation. FaHCSIA EOI is coming to a town near you.

STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE PROJECT PLANNING AND TRANSITION

David Garner, Senior Consultant, Ambrose Solutions, Darwin Effective Project Planning

Strategic Project Planning – Based in Darwin, NT, WA and expanding to southern states

1. Developing a Sound Strategy 2. Funding Options 3. Managing a project or organization

Ambrose est. 10 years ago Developing tools around project planning

Methodology: Walk About Your Business – sponsored by Commonwealth Bank To help a new organisation go through a sound process from the idea to the start up and running and wrapping up of that business.

• Identify the dream / aspiration – what are they trying to achieve • Is it feasible? • Business planning process

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• Visual tools and process - Moving away from boring A4 docs • Start up – hard, lots of regulation • Building up business, reducing risk, increasing revenue, reducing cost • Exit strategy – when they get to a point where they have achieved their goal – what is their exit strategy? Succession plan to family / other community members? • Many organisations don’t have an exit plan, get it running – then what? • Lack of an exit strategy can cause you to lose your way.

• Business plans • Box Jellyfish Café – Diagrammatic / banner business plans: Far more effective in communities • Content on small cards – allows people to write and change them • Process with the banner to describe vision and mission of organisation • Identify strengths and weaknesses • Danger of getting obsessed with analysis and get in to irrelevant areas 7 areas that need to be covered: - Compliance - Asset Mgmt - Ongoing Mgmt - Sales & Marketing - People Mgmt - Financial Mgmt - Governance

Have to have an action plan, that can be executed. Ability to execute is key.

• Always work out your strategy before your structure – Plan First! • Have to remain adaptable / agile – this is difficult when you have to align with Government funding and requirements / regulations • Need to be able to respond to changes in market and in your organization • People sometimes execute a plan but ignore the changes in their environment and miss opportunities • Promote Best Practice • South Africa – 40 million people need assistance with economic development – plenty of tools and models around the world. Encourage clients to go out and find those tools – ‘Don’t reinvent the wheel!!’ No welfare in South Africa – no welfare so huge motivation. • Funding: recently there is a move away from government funding for programs • Engage with corporates NOT Government • CBA Bank have a RAP program, looking for programs to place money in (RAP – Reconciliation Action Plan). • Many corporates struggling to find things to fund. Have a greater appetite for risk than Government • Happy with long term projects, looking more to outcomes, not as concerned with failure if there is failure • Easier to get money from Corporates than Government – avoid public departments, avoid jumping through hoops. Funding up front – not tied to outcomes – engagement with their staff who want to participate in the process and learn about the problems • Take projects straight to the Minister level. May mean a quick no but may also mean a quick yes.

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• If you don’t ask, you don’t get. • Ministers are looking for solutions. If you have an idea or project – get it to the Minister rather than working through the Department. The Minister can then tell the Department to engage with you and you can get better contacts within the Department who will then know the Minister is watching.

• Too often structures to manage are too complex. • In the USA: ‘operate naked’. Shouldn’t be afraid of providing full information disclosure – better to identify weaknesses. • Staff at all levels need to be involved in decision making; workers need to feel they are involved in the process. • In South Africa – positive discrimination re employment and procurement. • Staff and workers have to be seen as “the customer” • Organisations have to treat their staff like a customer or they will lose them and / or their motivation. Individual staff with individual needs • Helps with succession planning, people might have aspirations – Ask Them! • Examples from the Kimberley • Needs to be a focus on taking positive things out of mistakes, needs to be a focus on celebrating success – use that and leverage it as much as possible. • Learn from your mistakes as an industry and as a sector

[Asking questions in the right way is really important to get more than a yes/no answer] David – there can be a time lag to get things done, need to be open and flexible and patient to get answers.

Simple models – far more effective Shaun Fowler, Operations Manager, Darwin Regional Indigenous Advancement & CDEP

An Integrated Approach to Strategic Project Planning

11 years experience in communities – learned by making mistakes and sharing. 7 years based in Mt Isa working in communities

Interactive session on planning

Success depends on the ability to attract, engage and retain participants. Definitive end date, strategic projects with good outcomes.

Project example: Multi Purpose Indigenous Community Centre Community wanted a place for the kids to connect with computers Importance of access to technology – Didjeridu example of entrepreneurial enterprise supplying online video downloads to the Netherlands

Building centre – engaged some different training modules Partnerships with other orgs Architects in Melbourne University – 4th years students can help design Innovative ideas – Good Food Station – may be building in a community next year… Students come up for the installation – cross-cultural sharing opportunity

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Workers • Some were homeless, never employed - very varied workers • All ten went on to employment • Benefits – real community project • Women involved – curtains • Kids – Landscaping • Prisoners involved • Centre opened to residents – participants first, real sense of ownership. • Completed in Jun 2010 – no vandalism, becoming a thriving activity centre • Still a few issues to sort out with service providers, very successful, good results • FaHCSIA, DEEWR, Sydney Org donated computers, iGet IT – keen to work to roll this out in communities – program aimed at teaching youth to put a computer together from scratch and then keep it. • Aim is engagement rather than putting kids into the IT industry

Promote Projects • The more you promote it – the easier it is for Government’s to support • Get promotion – make the Ministers aware! • Manage the perceptions of the project – be positive! (We know all projects have problems, don’t focus on those in communications) • Peaks and Troughs – expect this!

Points for success: • Requires a ‘driver’ with appropriate skill sets – must be accountable • Think Big! Identify the end goal or vision and work backwards • Imperative projects are undertaken with the community and not for the community – whole of community approach • Collaborate with a broad range of organisations • Ensure projects are well resourced and managed – mentors essential • Be careful on how success is determined • Accept a 10-1 ratio on funding proposals • Promote the project at every opportunity and the partners • Sustainability must be considered • Manage the perception – reality takes care of itself • Don’t wait – create!

• Always ask why if your funding proposals are rejected. Repackage, try again. • Promote your partners (and funders) • Always produce a report / document and SHARE IT AROUND!! – researchers!!!

CDO – CDU Architecture really interested – partnerships

Universities are a great resource – fourth year students love to travel and help out. Need to manage that access!! Don’t let universities take over.

Not easy, hard work – initial construction efforts were self funded but led to funding for other components of the project.

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Regional CDEP Workshop

Anthea Fawcett, RIG Network Effective Project Planning - Potential Sources of Funding Support

Time running a bit short so just run through some funding suggestions very quickly. Asked group if they familiar with groups such as ABA, ILC, IBA, IBA/NAB Microfinance, DEEWR [show of hands indicated most people were]. Cover these and try to highlight some other funding opportunities

Reiterate key points made by Shaun and David: • If you need funds for training and work experience, dig into the various CDEP “wrap around” funding options that are there • Focus on the overall strategy/goal of the project – big picture • Get communications, community buy in as key first steps - focus on delivery/execution • Project vision/strategy first, work back from that to fill in key pieces/needs. • Attractive good project should generate support – don’t let ‘future’ of CDEP cloud long term planning of projects. • Get the structure/project entity type right after strategy/vision clear • Are you seeking funding support for an activity operated from within an existing Aboriginal owned organization or CDEP group? • Or are you helping local people set up new sole trading or small business activities? Different planning and support options. • Think partnerships and new possible links with business people, corporates and universities

• Corporates are waiting to get tapped on the shoulder to engage and fund projects through their Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs). Lots of corporates don’t know how to engage – keen to hear about practical, good projects they can support. • Good to approach local business as well as major corporates who operate nationally, may have RAPs or be members of the Australian Employment Covenant and Generation One (options for works experience? Industry placements?).

Seeking funds and support – some starting points

• What do you need support for? – Capital costs and/or operational costs? – Feasibility study or development costs? – Training and work experience – Business support & mentoring – An existing project or to create a new social or economic enterprise?

• Who is the applicant group? Are they ‘credible, compliant, capable’ • Is there good local interest and buy in to the project and its aims? • Does the project ‘stack up’? Budget, time frame, objectives, outcomes • Are funds for ‘investment’ (business case) vs social investment (transparent subsidy) to facilitate other outcomes? Can you describe the ‘business’ & ‘social investment’ cases? • Partners to support the application? = stronger applications, more effective projects • Do you really need more funds or new partners? Ie to access existing resources

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Regional CDEP Workshop

Different avenues to access support – direct funds, business planning support and mentoring, micro finance and other.

Ran through slides with details of programs/contacts for IBA, IBA/NAB, ILC, ABA, DEEWR/IEP. Contact these offices in Darwin – good information available on respective websites

[As Shaun said, we’ll aim to share all workshop presentations – by RIG website/other].

Good business support resources for mainstream micro and small enterprises – eg see:

• Australian government’s business information resource site – www.business.gov.au. – Many useful resources & links. Especially See Popular Topics, Grants & Assistance – GRANTS & ASSISTANCE FINDER – online search tool to find business-related government grants & assistance, search nationally, by State and Territory – eg. EnvironmentNT

• NT Department of Housing, Local Govt, & Regional Services – hosts Indigenous Economic Development & Indigenous Business Development, and related grants (up to $30 000, for businesses not projects). Go to their Regional Development page, www.dhlgrs.nt.gov.au/rd

• NT Department of Business & Employment, info for small business – www.nt.gov.au/dbe

• Business Enterprise Centre, Darwin Region – training & other resources for those who want to start, expand or buy a business – www.becnt.com.au

Corporate and philanthropic – some suggestions to look at? • Australian Employment Covenant – see www.fiftythousandjobs.com.au • Indigenous Stock Exchange – www.isx.org.au • Organisations who have Reconciliation Action Plans • Comprehensive Primary Health Care Services – NT & CW Health links

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Regional CDEP Workshop

• Your local Woolworths & Coles, Outback Stores & ALPA • Industry bodies and groups – eg. NTHA & members • Non-government organisations who may be able to partner or advise you: Fred Hollows Foundation, Red Cross, JL Foundation, other • Preferential procurement opportunities: – Local businesses, major industry developments & government projects in your area – Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council

[Shaun – Shift in understanding that tender writers / people writing applications aren’t necessarily confident in applying for funding and a recognition there’s a need for a better level of support]

[Desleigh – has found that ABA applications were simpler and possible to complete and submit]

[Anthea – DEEWR/IEP helps Indigenous communities, industry bodies & groups of employers to develop Indigenous workforce & economic development strategies that support local & regional economic growth. What might we put forward form this workshop as a CDEP and ‘industry’ strategy – business development or mentoring – that DEEWR/IEP could support?].

[Anthea – IBA and NAB representatives here to answer questions/provide info…]

NAB Microfinance – Olivia McFarlane, NAB Darwin - NAB Reconciliation Action Plan - Given out 513 project funds - $7.6 million funding for micro enterprise - Criteria around the loans – business planning - Works with IBA - Provides expertise as bankers - Finance up front - Low, fixed interest rate - First 90 days of the loan is actually interest free – gives projects a chance to get an income stream happening - Put together specifically for projects such as gardens - Serious about the partnership, keen to work with and talk to people

[Rod – a bit overwhelmed by the business side – CDEP people are flat out, have ideas – is there an opportunity to have the next workshop specifically about business development within CDEP?]

[Shaun – lets dream big about what’s possible. In the wings – potentially funding a national CDEP Practitioners workshop. Provider driven, provider led. Multiple breakout sessions. Get your ideas up at the end of the day.]

[Anthea – Q to IBA: could a regional group of CDEP providers come together and get support from IBA for a business mentor / feasibility study for something they want to cluster together as a joint business/local market initiative?]

IBA – the venture has to be commercial. Has to make money.

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Regional CDEP Workshop

[Shaun – traditionally we work isolated – need to work together more – significant commonality between regions and organizations. There is potential for a driver to obtain funding for a region, maybe get Ambrose to work with a region]

LUNCH

PUTTING IT TOGETHER – PARTICIPANTS, PROJECTS & FOOD PRODUCE!

Lachlan had been asked a lot about motivation/welfare issues in East Timor after yesterdays session about building participation. He shared experience from East Timor re these issues.

Lachlan, Work in Timor-Leste • Re Avoiding the hand-out mentality • Being honest and upfront about what is possible • Clearly explaining purpose • Participatory Rural Appraisal mapping • Developing partnerships • Make clear we’re not there to give away free stuff – but can teach skills • Only going to places where they were asked to come – rather than imposing development • Communities are encouraged to develop their own maintenance systems

Short talks from three great projects – new opportunities, links… Gianna Bonis-Profumo – Community Development Officer, Red Cross, Bagot Community After School Life Skills & Demonstration garden

• Bagot Community after school centre – Red Cross works with youth there • With collaboration & local orgs including Ludmilla • Established garden project March 2010 • Visited on a weekly basis with health and nutrition activities, cooking etc • Creating ‘from seed to the plate’ • Aims: educational space for children to learn about gardens, produce highly nutritious food for the after school centre, demonstration site to support community members, showcase what is possible in a household size, assist community members to grow their own. • Permaculture design consultant to design the garden • No artificial inputs, totally organic • Designed to be as low maintenance as possible • Funky, engaging, interesting • Space appropriate for a range of children’s ages • Not a market garden or a community garden – created by Red Cross workers • Not much adult engagement – not the main goal • After school activity for kids • Strategy based on establishing fruit trees that were popular with the kids

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Regional CDEP Workshop

• Eggplants already on site but were not familiar or popular • Easier to engage with popular foods • Raised bed system • Urban area – easier to get resources • Tried lots of cooking with the eggplant • Composting bin systems • Seed planting and propagation • Benefits – education about nature, cycles, learning about composting – feeding the bananas – teaching ecology • Knowledge transfer • No vandalism • Herb spiral – teaching new smells, new flavours, • Cooking – learning to use utensils, nutrition handling • Kids have learned vegie identification of ‘whitefella vegies’ • Spend $5000 – capital costs • Different types of kitchens – flour drums!

Alison Lorraine, Women’s Development Coordinator, Fred Hollows Foundation Kukumbat Gudwan Daga - ‘Really Cooking Good Food’

• Partnership approach • Engagement and participatory process • Health promotion tool that could support your garden, engage the community, get the produce used

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Regional CDEP Workshop

• Aimed to increase self determination for women, nutrition as a social determinant of health • Supporting local council to establish women’s council and women’s resource centre • Working with the women’s centres in three communities, isolated communities • Increasing control over day to day tasks – adds to feelings of ‘empowerment’ • Aims: empowerment, literacy, numeracy, cooking and nutrition information, food safety knowledge, building capacity • Every step of the process used a participatory planning model – genuine participation – fostering true feelings of ownership • Accredited training was part of the production – certificate level training in kitchen operations – safety and nutrition education as well • partnered with public health nutritionist / Sunrise Health • Using food and the local ordering system in the store to get materials that are local • Multimedia training and access – using digital cameras as a way to engage young women • Pride in showing and sharing photos • Recipe swapping between communities • Huge quantities of meals produced in the kitchens • Involvement of the local women with a graphic design stage to design the look of the book • Local artwork used for cover art • Local organization working together • Food goes to the Aged care service where an artist creates a woven Mat which is bought by the local art centre who then engage with the cook book project to use an image of the Mat on the cover of the book • Recipes in the book all align with ordering system spreadsheet of the local store, aligns with local availability • Favourite local recipes eg. Kangaroo Tail stew • Potential for using local bush ingredients but the purpose was to create a cookbook for the women’s centre preparing bulk meals for the community • Sought feedback from participants on the process, positive feedback on the project, pride, supporting women where they are • Opportunity for women to represent and feel pride through the project. An example of how the newly elected women’s council in the region of women coming together to achieve great things • Cookbooks used in different centres, great feedback from ALPA / Outback Stores – the cookbook has been incorporated into the Outback stores takeaway manual as a healthy bulk cooking option • Distributed through Bachelor Press, organizations are using the cookbook in training • Other community based health promotion activities that have come from the project – particularly through the use of multimedia – a way for local people to document what they are doing • Cooking show: ten minute DVD for how to cook Shepherds Pie • Indigenous men took the Japanese chef out bush • DVD produced entirely by Indigenous participants

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Regional CDEP Workshop

Graham Bidstrup, CEO Jimmy Little Foundation – Thumbs Up! program

[Intro Graham, Thumbs Up! A great program that provides the ‘glue’ to link schools, health services and stores for engaging, good food health promotion].

History of Jimmy! Journey of eleven years with Jimmy and the creation of the Jimmy Little Foundation • Mobile dialysis truck • Working with Government

Aims: increase life expectancy, better life. • Partnerships with people • Closing the Gap through a whole of government approach

The Thumbs Up Logo - Developed in response to the popularity of foreign brand names on junk food. Thumbs Up! Funded by NT DHF, Fred Hollows, Red Cross, Medicines Australia – ‘special purpose fund’

• Creating songs, blue toothing – mobile compatible videos • Homelands and RFD sites • Incoporating cultural activity in with nutrition, education, physical activity, multimedia • Interactive website • Rewards for turning up at school • Little Jimmy Little (James Henry) role model • Developing an activity book, hygiene pack • Store program – brand awareness of the Jimmy Little Logo – Thumbs Up signage in all the stores

Promote Fruit, Veg & water • Developing logo on food products • ‘Uncle Jimmy’s Recipe of the Month’ • Jimmy Little F&V displays in stores • …trying to get Coke on board…

Presentation of some JLF videos – ‘Tap Water every day’ and others!!

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Regional CDEP Workshop

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Regional CDEP Workshop

BREAKOUT DISCUSSIONS

Each table came up with five recommendations

Table 1 1. School Gardens for i) education, ii)community building, and iii) good food for the kids! 2. Farmers Markets and local events to sell local produce and engage the community – ie concerts, music, art, multimedia, cook ups every weekend 3. Knowledge sharing resource “The Wheel” (stop re-inventing it!!!) use available website and forum 4. CDOs (and indeed any worker) in communities should have access to proper resources, support, contacts in orgs so they can Mentor and be supported themselves 5. Lobby Government for flexible funding

Table 2 1. General increase of permaculture & organic gardening knowledge in communities 2. Local Produce – i) value adding in communities, ii) development of commercial bush food production, iii) better marketing and transport of locally grown foods, iv) focus on local fresh foods in stores, v) duplicate the ‘Centrefarm’ approach 3. Continue building partnerships and networking 4. Quantitative Research on benefits of gardens of all sizes in communities (leading to better understanding, funding and results) 5. Meeting on a yearly (or regular) basis 6. Continue development of media resources to help improve, promote projects and share knowledge.

Table 3 1. Collaborate across organisations 2. Form better partnerships 3. Health Department and Horticulture Departments/projects to work together 4. In the planning stages have a community person trained so skills stay in community 5. Be very determined but don’t wear rose coloured glasses

Table 4 1. Keep up communications with other communities 2. Support each other, keep connected 3. Protect Indigenous intellectual knowledge and property of bush foods and medicine from Multinationals 4. Public Health Association Australia – get involved 5. Food Policy – from paddock to the plate, for sustainability, equity

Table 5 1. Strengthen qualitative research about benefits of community gardens beyond yield/nutrition/$... and focus on social and emotional benefits. 2. Facilitate regional, culturally accessible workshops for Indigenous gardeners 3. Support broader frameworks and collaboration

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4. Need for creation of dedicated investment fund for supporting establishment of business enterprise models for food production on a more regional scale. 5. Explore flexible alternative models of funding that support the broad social benefits of community gardens – as opposed to strict CDEP frameworks or tight microeconomic models

Table 6

1. Focus on development of Indigenous mentoring programs for Indigenous people within communities 2. Funding to support shadowing positions for Indigenous positions through side by side learning 3. Conference network sharing knowledge, information and stories 4. Food production has to be seen as an essential service 5. Lobby governments to become more flexible and open minded about food production, consultation and partnership models

WRAP UP

Shaun - Wrap up • Thank everyone for coming – a lot on, a lot to travel and spend two days at a workshop like this: thank you! • Keep the conversations going • Get Government engaged, the summary of this workshop will be reported back to Fahcsia at the December meeting • Lots to digest • Not the end point • Send any further points – along to be considered • Keep the stories happening

Anthea – Wrap Up • Ditto Shaun’s comments, and also like to thank everyone for coming, all participants and presenters • Observations – genuine level of energy and interest, lets keep it going and build on it • Connection and openness • Perhaps my key observation – importance of opportunities at the very small end, and at the other commercial end o Spectrum of opportunities – 50% of Territorians are under age of 15 – school gardens and life skills and demonstration gardens so important o Percentage of Indigenous owned productive land – 50% of the NT – the other end of the spectrum. As yet unexplored potential to take commercial opportunities seriously and to invest the time required to explore and develop new approaches and ventures – leases, JVs, partnerships.

Thanks Everyone! Anthea, (with special thanks to Rachel our great scribe for the workshop).

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