Indigenous Business

Broncos score a $5m bonus to help Indigenous girls

ANOTHER $5 million pledge from the Federal Government will add 1000 places in the Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy for Indigenous girls across northern New South Wales and southern and western Queensland.

The program, fronted by the Brisbane Broncos NRL club, aims to mentor and encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait girls and offer them career and educational pathways that have not been available before. 

Brisbane Broncos chief executive officer, Paul White, said the announcement by Federal Indigenous affairs Minister Paul Scullion was “a wonderful affirmation of the Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy program”.

“The club is very proud of the work the program is doing to empower young women both academically and in their general lives, and is looking forward to partnering with the government to exponentially expand those opportunities," Mr White said.

Mr Scullion, said the funding would also provide continued support for the existing 300 places in the program.

“The Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy is a great program that provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls with an opportunity to be mentored and encourages increased school attendance while building leadership skills and developing career pathways to further education and employment," Mr Scullion said. 

“Investing in the future of women and girls has a significant benefit not only to them as individuals but also for their family and broader community. 

“This program is a great example of how the Coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.”

Federal Member for Brisbane, Trevor Evans, said he was proud to represent a sporting club that provided so much to the community.

“The Broncos have a strong history of giving back to the people that have supported and barracked for them, and the Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy is just one of many important programmes they run,” Mr Evans said.

www.broncos.com.au

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Aboriginal communities join Pacific highway upgrade

ABORIGINAL communities along the Woolgoolga to Ballina section of the Pacific Highway upgrade have been informed and invited to participate in construction and other work on the project by the New South Wales and Federal Governments.

“The overall Pacific Highway upgrade between Port Macquarie and Ballina has roughly 10 percent Indigenous employment and we are looking to increase this participation for the Woolgoolga to Ballina section,” Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said.

“This is regional Australia's largest road infrastructure project and a key part of the Australian Government’s record $50 billion infrastructure investment package. We are determined to ensure the benefits — including thousands of jobs — are shared right across the community.”

NSW Minister for Roads Melinda Pavey said it was important the local Aboriginal workforce had every opportunity to be involved in an infrastructure project of this size. Information sessions were conducted in April and early May.

“Drivers only have to look outside their car window to see the extensive work to upgrade the highway, but they might not see the efforts being made to ensure the local Aboriginal workforce was engaged,” Mrs Pavey said.

NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Sarah Mitchell said she was proud the government was building a workforce that reflected the diversity of the communities the Pacific Highway passed through.

“The Pacific Highway runs through the heart of regional New South Wales and while the government is building big infrastructure projects, it is also investing in the futures of both the local and Aboriginal communities along the highway’s length,” Mrs Mitchell said.

“A number of initiatives are already in place including implementing contracts with higher mandatory Indigenous participation, direct engagement of Indigenous companies to provide fit-out of contractor offices and using local Indigenous artists to design art for one of the project vehicles.”

Work on the Woolgoolga to Ballina upgrade is expected to start mid-year. The national government aspiration for Indigenous business and employment participation in major infrastructure projects is 10 percent.

www.infrastructure.gov.au

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Down to business: the PM’s new Indigenous Advisory council

THE Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council has attracted several new members with strong business backgrounds, as well as substantial policy expertise.

Notable among the joining members is NPY Women’s Council CEO Andrea Mason, who was the Australian Businesswomen of the Year in 2016 and is currently the Northern Territory Australian of the Year. Ms Mason’s NPY Women’s Council is a highly regarded organisation committed to delivering youth and well-being programs and addressing domestic and family violence.  

Also joining the council is Stronger Smarter Institute founder and chairman, Chris Sarra. Apart from his many qualifications in education, administration and psychology, Professor Sarra is renowned for his business acumen and is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and an honorary fellow of the School of Ethical Leadership at the Melbourne Business School.

University of Wollongong Indigenous Health professor Ngiare Brown is a Yuin nation woman from the South Coast of NSW who is also the foundation CEO of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association. Among her many credits as a senior medical practitioner in the areas of public health and primary care, she has also studied bioethics, medical law and human rights.

Others joining the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council include Winun Ngari Aboriginal Corporation CEO Susan Murphy, New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council chairman Roy Ah See, and Djambawa Marawilli, a traditional owner from Baniyala and an accomplished artist who co-ordinated the 2002 sea rights claim in the Blue Mud Bay region of North East Arnhem Land, won in the High Court in 2008.

“The appointments reflect the expertise and innovation that exist in Indigenous Australia and we look forward to working with the new Council to drive better outcomes for our First Australians,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said. These appointments are for three years. 

“The new Council will play an important role by engaging at the heart of Government, including with the Indigenous Policy Committee of Cabinet, collaborating with other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, and ensuring the government is well positioned to renew the expiring Closing the Gap targets in the year ahead.

“The new Council members will meet and provide advice to the Government on the final makeup of the Council and its terms of reference. This will include engaging with other Indigenous Australians who have requested to be on the Council.”

www.dpmc.gov.au

Biographies of the new Council members 

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NAIDOC focus on language

NAIDOC Week, running from July 2-9, is to focus on Indigenous languages for 2017.

The theme of NAIDOC Week 2017 is Our Languages Matter and Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion, has announced a National NAIDOC Poster Competition centred on that theme.

“For First Australians, language links people to their land and water – it is how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history is transferred through generations,” Mr Scullion said.

There were 250 distinct Indigenous language groups in Australia at the time Europeans first made contact. Now, only around 120 of those languages are still spoken and many are at risk of being lost.

The Federal Government recently announced $22.8 million in funding to help keep Indigenous languages alive and showcase traditional and contemporary Indigenous cultural and artistic expression

Entries for the National NAIDOC Poster Competition close on March 20.

www.naidoc.org.au

 

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How nuclear tech determined ‘oldest’ Aboriginal site

A BARELY noticeable rock shelter in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges has been verified by nuclear technology as containing the oldest known evidence of Aboriginal Australian settlement.

Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) researcher Vladimir Levchenko has co-authored a paper with representatives of the Adnyamathanha people of the Northern Flinders Ranges, published in Nature magazine, marking this ‘mammoth’ discovery of Australian pre-history.  

Dr Levchenko’s research was undertaken in collaboration with Clifford Coulthard – a member of the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association – who found the site with Giles Hamm, and are co-authors on the paper with Vincent Coulthard, Sophia Wilton and Duncan Johnston. The research is expected to boost both understanding and international interest in Indigenous Australian history and cultures.

ANSTO’s Dr Levchenko performed carbon dating research using two separate nuclear instruments at ANSTO’s Lucas Heights Campus between 2014 and 2016.

“I was involved as a radiocarbon specialist, and used two nuclear instruments over more than two years – the ANTARES and STAR accelerators,” Dr Levchenko said.

“The role of ANSTO and nuclear science extended to analysing shells, charcoal, tools and bones and megafauna, which showed two things.

“Firstly we showed that the site is up to 49,000 years old – the earliest occupied site we have come across in Australia, at least so far. 

“Secondly we proved through dating the megafauna bones, examining the marks on them, and the fact they were collocated, that humans and megafauna interacted.
“We also rechecked and in some cases redid research that was undertaken in other laboratories – to ensure the veracity of the important findings.”
The samples were carefully unearthed from their ancient home in the Flinders Ranges, and sent 1,500km and 49,000 years into the future at Sydney’s Lucas Heights. 
Two accelerators were used to combine their benefits – STAR with its dedicated radio carbon beamline, and ANTARES, ANSTO’s largest accelerator, which can accelerate virtually any naturally occurring isotope.
“The finding pushed radiocarbon dating technique to its best capability,” said ANSTO’s leader of the Centre for Accelerator Science, professor David Cohen.
ANSTO often contributes to studies that help determine the age of vitally of important artefacts with non-destructive methods, to reveals the true extent of the world’s oldest culture while preserving artefacts. 
“Nuclear techniques are applied to analyse and date rock art, tools, ochres and bones, shedding light on the lives of the first people in Australia,” Prof. Cohen said.

www.ansto.gov.au

 

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Indigenous small businesses show wealth of WA talent

THE Edith Cowan University’s Business Innovation Centre, which has 38 businesses in its incubator, has been praised helping to bring through successful new Indigenous businesses.

Federal Small Business Minister Michael McCormack made the remarks on his Western Australian ‘listening tour’ which was focused on small businesses, especially learning of Indigenous business success stories.

With indigenous employment and procurement a key focus of the Federal Government, Mr McCormack said he met with two businesses which participate in the Indigenous Supplier Development Program.

"I toured Tri Shield Services – an indigenous company providing maintenance, construction and security services to mining and resource companies throughout WA, as well as In-Balance – an Aboriginal-owned and family-run company which exports a range of unique, environmentally-friendly Australian industrial cleaning products to the world,” Mr McCormack said.

“Both these companies are Indigenous Australian Small Business Advisory Service clients and provide the jobs, investment and opportunities Indigenous communities in WA deserve.

“It was terrific to see directly how investment through the ASBAS program can deliver the confidence and investment the Government wants to see across Australia.

“It’s clear the National Innovation and Science Agenda, as well as our Crowd-Source Equity Funding program is helping many young people at Edith Cowan get their start and pursue their dream,” Mr McCormack said.

www.treasury.gov.au

 

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Indigenous researchers get $4.6m backing

THE Federal Government has dedicated $4.6 million for 11 new research projects through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Indigenous scheme, boosting training and projects by Indigenous researchers.

Investigating culturally-appropriate social technologies to improve connectedness and well-being among Indigenous Australians, examining the development of resilience and well-being of Indigenous youth, and researching culturally sensitive ways to teach Indigenous students are some of the important new research projects to be undertaken by Australia’s Indigenous researchers with new funding. Christopher Lawrence.

Acting CEO of the ARC, Leanne Harvey, welcomed the announcement by Education and Training Minister, Senator Simon Birmingham, saying the Discovery Indigenous scheme was important as it developed and supported the research expertise of Indigenous Australian researchers.

Some of the research projects to be undertaken by the Discovery Indigenous researchers commencing in 2017 include:Rhonda Marriott.

University of Melbourne’s Dr Christopher Lawrence will use $473,000 to investigate culturally-appropriate social technologies to improve connectedness and wellbeing among Indigenous Australians.

Murdoch University professor Rhonda Marriott from will lead a $371,000 project to examine the development of resilience and wellbeing in Indigenous youth, to better understand the connections between age, cultural identity, resilience, wellbeing and risky behaviours. 

University of South Australia professor Lester Rigney will receive $337,000 to examine how teachers in mainstream middle school classrooms can teach young Indigenous Australians in a culturally sensitive way and improve attendance and learning outcomes.

This announcement of 11 Discovery Indigenous projects is part of the ARC Major Grants announcement totalling $416.6 million for 989 research projects. 

www.ministers.education.gov.au

 

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