Time to bridge the gap

By Shannon Tonkin
Updated November 6 2012 - 1:24am, first published December 10 2010 - 12:29am
'Historic' day: The Wadi Wadi dancers perform at the signing of the Illawarra Regional Partnership Agreement at Dapto's Ribbonwood Centre yesterday. Picture: ROBERT PEET
'Historic' day: The Wadi Wadi dancers perform at the signing of the Illawarra Regional Partnership Agreement at Dapto's Ribbonwood Centre yesterday. Picture: ROBERT PEET

A joint State and Federal Government initiative to boost indigenous employment and skills training in the Illawarra was yesterday hailed as a "landmark" document by the region's elders.Leaders of 17 Illawarra Aboriginal organisations met with Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin and NSW Aboriginal Affairs Minister Paul Lynch to co-sign the Illawarra Regional Partnership Agreement at Dapto's Ribbonwood Centre.The 23-page document sets out six areas in need of action to help close the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous communities, including effective leadership, increased employment opportunities, effective education, access to housing, strengthened indigenous community organisations and access to services.The Federal Government has dedicated $274,000 to kick-start the program in the first of its four years, which includes $140,000 for leadership training and skills development and $20,000 to upgrade housing for disabled Aborigines in Shellharbour.Ms Macklin said the party that drove the agreement, the Illawarra Aboriginal Community Based Working Group (IACBWG), identified jobs in nursing, child care, aged care and environmental services as potential areas for increased Aboriginal employment."To help boost employment, both governments will work with local organisations to encourage young Aboriginal peoples to take up work experience and traineeships, particularly in health and community services," she said."A job strongly contributes to personal, social and economic development, and is essential in closing the gap in indigenous disadvantage."The funds will also cover the costs of drawing up a business development plan for new job-generating green team projects, including ecotourism and bush regeneration.Aboriginal community representative and IACBWG member Darrell Brown has spent much of the past five years working on the agreement and said it was exciting to see the document in its final form after years of hard work.He labelled yesterday's meeting a "historic day".Never before had so many Illawarra Aboriginal communities united for one cause, Mr Brown said."It's a very special occasion."

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