Item 12.2 - Attachment 1 |
Minutes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Advisory Committee Minutes 26th August 2008 |
MINUTES OF THE ABORIGINAL
AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD IN ROOM 1,
GROUND FLOOR, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, PARRAMATTA ON TUESDAY 26th AUGUST
2008 AT 6.05 PM.
__________________________________________________________________________
PRESENT
Gilson
Saunders (Chairman), Linda McDonald, June Magrath, Doug Desjardines, Kerrie
Kenton, Phillip Bradley, Marcia Donovan, Annie Nielsen, Phil Russo, Lyn Leerson
IN ATTENDANCE
Maggie
Kyle – Community Capacity Building Officer and Elise Mawhood – Minute taker, Joanne
McNeil - Community Capacity Building Officer, Shanene
Hogg – Aboriginal Project Officer
MINUTES
1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRADITIONAL OWNERS THE DHARUG
PEOPLE
Gilson
Saunders did an Acknowledgment of Country recognising that the land
upon which the meeting was being held is Dharug and paying respect to Elders
past and present.
2 WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS
Gilson
Saunders welcomed members and Council staff to the meeting.
3 CHAIRPERSON’S
REMINDER REGARDING MEETING PROTOCOLS
The Chairperson reminded members of the meeting
protocol.
4 APOLOGIES
Apologies were received and
accepted for the absence of Bruce Gale,
John Robertson, Anne Castles and Alan Merriman.
5 CONFLICT OF
INTERESTS
No
conflicts of interest noted.
6 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES
A copy
of the minutes of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee
Meeting held on
RECOMMENDATION (Neilson/Magrath)
The minutes of the Aboriginal and
7 BUSINESS ARISING
Minute 8.3
of 22 July 2008 meeting: Linda
McDonald did not attend the Ball. Annie
Neilson advised that the NAIDOC ball was a great event and awards, under
various categories were given. Lyn Leerson received an award. The ATSI Advisory
Committee congratulated her on her achievement.
Linda McDonald is hoping to become a member of the Committee as the ATSI
Advisory Committee representative.
RECOMMENDATION: (Desjardines/Russo)
That Linda
McDonald be the nominated representative for the
Minute
10.6 took 70 copies of the flyer to the NAIDOC Ball, was a
successful event in raising the funds needed to support the carer to go to the
Special Olympics.
8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS TO THE ATSI COMMITTEE
FOR THEIR WORK
Maggie
Kyle thanked the ATSI Advisory Committee members for their commitments over the
past four years and in particular the past year.
Annie
Neilson advised the ATSI Advisory Committee that she is running as an
independent candidate in the 2008 Local Government Elections.
9 ATSI Community Project Officer’s Report
(Shanene Hogg)
Aboriginal
Employment Strategy
Attended,
with and one of Council’s Human Resources staff the Grow Indig. Job Market at
MT Druitt.
Meetings
with Parrasip
Parramatta
School Industry regarding a Koori Information session for High School students
to enable Human Resources to identify the areas of employment that school
leavers are moving towards.
Welcome
to Country protocol
A draft
of the protocol has been submitted to Management and a project proposal is
currently being discussed to have a facilitated workshop for ATSI Advisory Committee
members to have input into the protocol. Two half day workshops have been
suggested and the final program will be discussed with the CCB Team Manager.
Community
projects
Social
enterprise: attended meetings with Jo McNeil, Community Capacity Building Officer
Social Enterprise and two prospective Aboriginal clients.
Discussions
are being held with one organisation regarding the set up of a resource
library/ cultural keeping place for
Foundation
Day
Involvement
in Foundation Day has been discussed with Council’s Heritage Officer Michelle
Desailly.
Cultural
Awareness Training for PCC Staff
Discussions
regarding how to implement the CAT across Council have been held and strategies
have been researched.
Involvement
in different Council projects have enabled more understanding and will assist
in implementing Cultural Awareness Training across Council.
Aboriginal
Prisoners
Contact
with Regional Justice Coordinator has been made and a meeting date will be
setup to discuss case management for ATSI clients leaving prison.
Shanene
Hogg went on to congratulate the committee on a successful NAIDOC 2008 event.
10 ATSI Social Enterprise Information Forum
Jo
McNeil, Community Capacity Building Officer Social Enterprise provided
information:
In the
June 2008 meeting the Committee recommended that Council host an information
forum which will be open to community on Aboriginal social enterprise. At this stage it is being planned for October
2008.
Council’s
Community Grants Program- including Social Enterprise Grants, opens on
A Social
Enterprise is a business which puts profit back into community. Social
Enterprises provide employment opportunities to disadvant6aged/ excluded
members of community. Child care services is a good example of social
enterprise
Committee
Members should advise community members about the Social Enterprise program in
particular, that support is available to people should they have an idea about
a social enterprise project. For further
information please contact Joanne McNeill 02 9806 5102.
Doug Desjardines
raised the need for accommodation facility for ex-prisoners and stated that
some businesses were interested in funding. Doug Desjardines will contact
Joanne McNeil to discuss further.
June Magrath
raised need for
It was
noted that
Phil
Russo noted that future Council’s business development should set aside some
area for Aboriginal heritage.
Kerrie
Kenton will forward to the committee members the plan she drafted on
housing/training for Aboriginal ex-offenders.
11 GENERAL BUSINESS AND INFORMATION SHARING
Maggie
Kyle informed the committee that the Recommendation made by the Committee to
place a plaque at
Maggie
Kyle also informed the committee that Bruce Gale has been communicating with
Council’s Heritage Centre regarding the photo of Aunty Mavis.
Doug
Desjardines noted that the Department of Corrective Services are going out on
strike again and prisoners are treated badly when this happens.
At the
Executive Meeting it was decided to draft a letter to Australian Human Rights
Commission and the NSW Department of Corrective Services on prisoners’ (lack
of) human rights.
RECOMMENDATION: (DESJARDINE/BRADLEY)
That Council note that the Committee views with grave concerns the lock
down situation at Long Bay Correctional Centre and the potential for this lock
down to spread to both Parramatta and Silverwater Correctional Centres. Aboriginal and
RECOMMENDATION: (DESJARDINE/BRADLEY)
That a delegation from this Committee meet with the Local Federal Member,
Julie Owens and discuss their concerns regarding the impact on Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander families and
children if their welfare payments are withdrawn because children are not
enrolled in school.
RECOMMENDATION: (RUSSO/KENTON)
That the ATSI Advisory Committee writes to the
Lyn
Leerson updated the committee on the work of Western Sydney Reconciliation: They
have communicated with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs regarding the
issues at Long Bay Correctional Facility when staff go out on strike. They have
referred the matter to the Minister for his attention.
The
Western
Sydney Reconciliation have written to the Prime Minister, the Honourable Kevin
Rudd; the Honourable Jenny Macklin and the Honourable Ms Julie Owens regarding
the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and requesting compensation
for the Stolen Generations.
Maggie
Kyle was asked to find out if the library is participating in the Indigenous
Literacy Day. Phil Bradley will identify
any bookstores in the LGA are participating.
June
Magrath informed the Committee of the upcoming Kids Fun Day which will promote
Child Protection Week. It will be held at Dawson Mall Mt Druitt on
June Magrath
distributed surveys to Committee members from Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s
Legal Centre and the NSW Attorney General’s Department and asked the members to
complete them.
Next
Meetings
ATSI
Advisory Executive Meeting
Room 1,
Ground Floor Council Chambers,
TBC
ATSI
Advisory Committee Meeting
Room 1,
Ground Floor Council Chambers,
TBC
The
Meeting concluded at