Mt Druitt - the "stardom" of this western Sydney suburb is unable to save its Aboriginal health service

Picture above is from here

Picture above from here

An Aboriginal Community Health Service in Western Sydney is being forced to close after a Federal Government decision to cease its funding.
Posted by NITV on Saturday, 4 July 2015

REFUGEE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA HAS HAD ITS FUNDING STRIPPED BY THE ABBOTT GOVERNMENT. CAN YOU HELP?

Date:	Fri, 26 Jun 2015 06:44:40 +0000
From:	Media <media@refugeecouncil.org.au>
Subject:	will you help us stand up for refugees?

1.2 unnamed text/html 14.96 KB         DO YOU STAND FOR A HUMANE REFUGEE POLICY?         THEN WE NEED YOUR HELP MORE THAN EVER. Dear Friend, I’m just writing a short reminder to encourage you, if you are able, to support the Refugee Council of Australia in the lead up to the end of the financial year. You will have received our note recently that explained the impact of the government cutting our funding and emphasising our resolve to keep the voices of refugees and asylum seekers and the principles of humanity, dignity and compassion in this debate Last week was Refugee Week and, I must say, the hundreds of events being held around Australia, in every state and territory, provide a stark contrast to the toxic nature of our politics. The Refugee Council has promoted Australia’s celebration of Refugee Week since 1986. Today, positive illustrations of how our Australian community welcomes and supports refugees is needed more than ever. There are simulated refugee camps, art exhibitions, music nights, welcome dinners, even entire festivals have been organised to show that, despite what our politicians may say, Australians are compassionate and caring about refugees and asylum seekers. Crucially, refugees and asylum seekers are actively involved in so many of these events. The Refugee Council of Australia has an important role to play in bringing the voice of refugee and asylum seekers forward. Just two weeks ago in Melbourne, we organised the Refugee Community Action Network Conference, bringing together refugees and asylum seekers from around the state to share their stories, hear of their struggles and bring them in front of decision makers to make the case for change. It was one of the most exciting and inspiring events in my nine years here. It showed me that change is possible and that refugees and asylum seekers, if given the tools, can be the architects of that change. It’s just the first meeting in one state but we want to do this in each and every state to form a national network of engaged and empowered refugees to change the terrible state we find ourselves in. We, of course, need your help to do this and to strengthen the great policy and analysis we already do. Of course, we also need to keep the government to account and shine a light on bad policy outcomes. If you are able, please support us with a tax-deductible donation. At the moment it really does make a very important difference. Yours sincerely, Paul Power Chief Executive Officer The most effective way you can support us is to become a monthly supporter, helping us to replace the regular income the Government has stripped away. You can do this, or make a one-off donation using the form below, or by going tohttp://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/get-involved/make-a-donation/secure-donation-form/ In doing so, you are raising the Australian voice of compassion and justice in the face of brutality.  Every cent of your tax deductible donation will help us to continue to raise a voice for refugees. Suite 4A6, 410 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia Phone: +61 (02) 9211 9333. Mobile: 0431 147 366 Fax: (02) 9211 9288 Website: www.refugeecouncil.org.au Follow us on Facebook and Twitter An independent national network of more than 200 organisational members and thousands of individual supporters, the Refugee Council of Australia promotes fair treatment of people fleeing persecution and celebrates the contributions of Australians who have been refugees. Our work is funded by people who share our vision. To support us, visit http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/get-involved/make-a-donation/

The cheque's in the mail for selected Aboriginal communities ... but we don't know who yet!!! #Scullion

Nigel Scullion speaks, releasing details of the lucky ones under his 'cut them off at the knees' model of funding Aboriginal communities, programs and services.

The document issued by Scullion to-day says:
The list of organisations recommended for funding under the IAS grant funding round is available on the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet website.

That's what it says.  Have been to the website and cannot locate the list.  If you have much more success in locating this, let me know and I will publish it.  Otherwise, till then, I think it may be a bit like the cheque is in the mail --- along with the Prime Minister's oft spruiked pension rise which has either not occurred or is indiscernible.  Are Tony Abbott's cheques bouncing?

Anyway, good luck to those who are included in the Indigenous Advancement Strategy of the LibNat Government.  Commiserations to the excluded.

In the Abbott dictionary we hear of Leaners and Lifters. Look at what the Lifters are doing now ....

How to handle this? We are in strange times of poor governance in Australia (Federal/State/Local and Corporate Governance). We see our Federal Government claiming all sorts of virtue for itself - while embracing the most draconian policies and agendae.

Go here to hear a video clip of Abbott's precise words on 'lifestyle choices'.

Tony Abbott's key Aboriginal advisers bite back

Remote communities at a glance:

• There are 274 remote communities in Western Australia and 12,113 Aboriginal people live in them
• 507 people live in 115 of the smallest communities - an average of 4.4 people per community
• Premier Colin Barnett flagged the closure of up to 150 communities but has not named them
• The last community to shut down was in 2011, when Oombulgurri in the East Kimberley was shut down after a host of social problems
• The state and federal governments contributed $30 million per year to fund services, but the Commonwealth will cease its funding contribution in two years

We are not discussing only Western Australia.

Below is a document displaying the cuts to

Aboriginal programs in the Northern Territory.

The document below can be read in its entirety on this post

by scrolling down the side.

It can also be printed from this post for further perusal.

Please go below this embedded document 
for Miss Eagle's response on Facebook.

News Feed

Brigid O'Carroll Walsh

The Aboriginal people of Tennant Creek, Northern Territory are strong, tough, imaginative and resilient. They have had to be. The Warumungu fought one of the longest and most fierce legal battles to claimback their lands. The people living at Muckaty Station fought back against Federal Governments of Liberal Party of Australia, Nationals, and Australian Labor Party persuasion who wanted to use their land as a dump for radioactivewaste. The Muckaty mob won the day. Now a Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, who said yesterday that he is quite satisfied with his credentials in regard to Aboriginal people, has axed funding to Tennant.

Who in their rightmind would axe funding for sport and recreation in an Aboriginal community? I can only assume that this is yet another policy of politico/social control by people who haven't a clue. Or --- perhaps, if they do have a clue, their intention is to force Aboriginal people back on the grog.

Tennant Creek is a very creative place - both in whitefella and blackfella terms. Black women as Presidents of BarklyRegionalCouncil - firstly, Rosalie Kunoth-Monks and, currently, Barkly Regional Council President Barb Shaw.

This is a place which has had problems heaped upon problems but has fought to overcome those problems with energy, steadfastness, organisation, and creativity. This town, these people are a community worthy of investment - as it has proved time and again. Yet funding has been axed from the Barkly Regional Council Community Services Sports and Recreation 

Talk about cutting off a community at its knees! Tony Abbott's Aboriginal credentials, such as they may be, are now in tatters. If he believes otherwise, then let him turn up at Tennant Creek and explain himself in person. But then Tennant doesn't have any black millionaires as Yirrkala does - and that's where you prefer to go, isn't it Tony? I smiled to hear Warren Mundine and Noel Pearson speaking up about the "lifestyle choice" statements by Abbott. Would they intervene on behalf of Tennant Creek, I wonder?

Tennant has a lovely small museum, Nyinkka Nyunyu. In that museum, the curators of the museum display statements from leading Tennant Creek citizens of decades ago in regard to the Warumungu Land Claim. I trust that Nyinkka Nyunyu will keep an historic and cultural record of Tony Abbott's "lifestyle choice" statements and governments' undermining of community attempts to advance the interests of Aboriginal people within the area of the Barkly Regional Council. Such a record would be just as wonderful as the whitefella statements in response to the Warumungu Land Claim, methinks, and would put on display the lack of prescience of those who would govern and control us.

Tennant Creek community devastated at positions lost under IAS

The Tennant Creek Community says it has had its heart ripped out - after 25 local workers were told their positions had been axed under the IAS. The community is angry... and accuses the Government of waging a war on...

To-morrow, Friday 13 March, the Tennant & District Times will have more on this dreadful setback to Aboriginal life and aspirations.  The link to material will be added to-morrow

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE FRONT PAGE OF

THE TENNANT & DISTRICT TIMES

Below is a reflection on Tennant Creek and its history by the respected Dean Ashenden.  Miss Eagle lived in Tennant Creek from 1993 to 1997 and knows a lot of the people and organisations referred to in the article and in the bibliography.  She was also an active member of the organisation managing the Telegraph Station. 

Imagining :: Library refurbishment - cultural precinct - community hub - dead parking area - and will there be money still for tea?

 

Last night, I attended the above consultation.   The consultation was done with Flightpath, an architectural consultancy, with two of their associates.  One , the principal, took the notes.  The second architect was said to have the knack for asking the good questions so he did most of the talking.  The third was a graphic designer who didn't say much at all but took his own notes. Lesley Morgan of the Ballarat Library and the Central Highlands Regional Library Corporation was there. Another person was there from the Council but, in spite of trying, have not yet tracked down who she is.  Besides those, there were about eight of us having our two bits worth - oops, giving our input.

Lesley Morgan is the manager of the Ballarat Library and a senior manager at Central Highlands Regional Library Corporation. She has held the role of Ballarat Manager for 4 1/2 years.Lesley has worked in libraries for 30 years in a variety of different roles, including Public, University, School and Tafe libraries. Lesley is a passionate advocate for public libraries, reading and literacy in general. One aim of hers is to assist in breaking down cultural barriers so that social inclusiveness becomes the right of all.

Click Here to visit the Central Highlands Regional Library Corporation website

Now I am not sure what this talk of re-making the Ballarat Library, perhaps making it a 'hub' is all about.  I have only been in Ballarat about eighteen months.  I have, however, come across this article from 2009 - a bare four years ago.   Then I came across this - which appears to be from April this year.

Now, we weren't told of this limited amount of money.  Perhaps the architects did not wish to cramp our style or limit our imagination.  However, for what we eventually got to talking about were were well past this financial limitation.  Why?  We named the elephants in the room which went beyond the boundaries of the Ballarat Library.  We named the parking space between the library and the civic hall - which has been left for a decade to rot in neglect - which, like so many parking facilities, has a period in its daily life cycle which means that is dead, empty, vacant, non-contributing.  And there is the on-going saga of the Civic Hall. My contribution on how to revive the Civic Hall and add to the area as a cultural precinct was this marvellous news of the eradication of urban blight in down-at-heel Newcastle:

So the wash up of all this? 

We few - we precious six o'clock few -  had our wide-ranging say.

We ranged from the library purists who wanted a library to be a library -

to those who were prepared to venture further

into the concepts of hubs and precincts.

One marvellous idea put forward which encouraged me to air the Westbury idea was the idea of flying the Ballarat historical and artistic and literary flag in a manner which is not done by our existing cultural institutions.  The proposer began with reminding us of the wonderful Will Dyson and progressed through a litany of distinguished cultural Ballarat-ians, male and female.

So we spilled past the 7pm timeline but in the end had to leave Library + Hub Dreaming.  Where will it take us?  What happened with the other two consultations?  Is anybody listening in a really meaningful way?  Will it become just a fleeting moment in time?  We wait to see.  I don't have a lot of confidence in the Ballarat Council's ability to make the most of opportunities, to respect heritage, to take good care of what it already holds.  I have come to this point of view because of the Civic Hall neglect and the Black Hill Look-out neglect.

A workshop about community finance for community organisations - Ballarat - 22 May

A confusion of Kingdoms

This article was posted by 

my friend Diana Haywood Rankine on Facebook. 

The relationship of NGOs (well, some of them) and church-run charities to government has bothered me for quite a while. Particularly concerning is the relationship of the latter. My thinking on this topic has been kicked off by my long-simmering anger in regard to the Rudd and Gillard Governments continuation of two dreadful policies of the Howard era: government funding of wealthy private schools such as Geelong Grammar and The Kings School and The Intervention (to me it will always be The Intervention no matter how much the Labor Govt speaks of Closing the Gap and Stronger Futures). 

I was once on the board of a major church charity and I have reflected on this as well. The article below highlights the amount of money paid to CEOs of major charities. I recall an uproar in the media some years ago about the amount of money an incoming CEO at The Brotherhood of Saint Laurence (I have no connection current or previous with this charity) was to receive. I can't recall the exact figure but let's just say HUGE, particularly in contrast to The Brotherhood's clientele. There was a lot of back-pedalling and revising on that issue. But just to give you a look at the intertwining of of government funding and apparently Christian charities operating within government guidelines please go here and study what is written. 

http://www.stlaurence.org.au/about/history.aspx 

Some of the programs are obviously government connected. Others, if you stop to think about it, almost certainly receive government funding. So while it is easy to criticise on the school funding issue because of Australia's history and politics in regard to sectarian schooling versus public schooling, we don't often think of the government linkages in relation to charitable work. 

There is a difficulty in discussing the charitable work with youth, the aged, the ill etc. This is work has always - well, almost always - been part of the Christian tradition. Rulers in Christian countries have long delivered beneficence to such charitable work. What Christians seem to have a bit of trouble with is Jesus's words about His Kingdom not being of this world. With denominational charities "brand names" supported in the public view by government funding is this a confusion of Kingdoms? Let's have a look at this confusion.

In the Kennett years in Victoria, the confidentiality clause entered into contracts connected with government funding to charities. Policy workers within charity found that they could not criticise government policy and continue to receive money from the government. On the other side of the coin, church charitable empires have frequently expanded their boundaries with government funding. They may find a need and seek funding. They may establish their work in a particular way so that they are able to get a share of existing government funding. 

The relationship between church and state is mutually beneficial. The state can make policy decisions and fund church charities to carry out the work on the ground. The state can be seen to be responsive to community needs in taking up policies and ideas from church run charities. And back again to the empire - the more money the charity receives the more offices, staff, services it can run and a corporate empire has sprung into being before you can say "social services".

Then there is the management of these services. If they are very large they tend to be bureaucratic as corporations and governments and bureaucracies are. Their modus operandi is a fit - one for the other. This is becoming more so now that these charities are seeking corporate dollars as well as public money. So another empire becomes involved in the confusion of Kingdoms. 

Long ago we learned how horrible some of the "worthy" church run charities are - the British WorkHouse idea is usually the first to spring to mind. To-day, we are trying to eliminate bushfires across the world caused by "Christian Charity". 

All these musings are very well, but there are still people in our society who need assistance for all sorts of reasons. The money to do this well needs to come from somewhere. The church/government/corporation, in all likelihood, has to continue. However, can we, as a community, together with those who work on the funding side begin to critique what is actually happening and what sort of models of assistance we are creating?

We know that the corporatisation of government has meant some horrible attitudes to need. Under the Gillard Government we may be seeing an uplift in attitudes to assistance as we see the possibility of how we might help, in a more constructive way, people with disabilities. After all, just because governments have lurched to the right does not mean that communities have forgotten their values. As a practising Christian, I ask are we really as conscious as we should be of the revolutionary and subversive message of Jesus of Nazareth? Do we know the boundaries of the empires and kingdoms? Do we understand why it is that He helped people and we try to continue in His tradition? Because if we don't understand these questions and their answers, we are nothing but money-grubbing do-gooders. We then fail to be the salt of the earth. 

Then comes Jesus's rhetorical question - 

What happens when the salt loses its savour?

Close the Gap Day - Thursday 20 March 2013 : Rachel Siewert

Rachel Siewerts's Adjournment Address in the Senate yesterday to mark Close the Gap Day - Thursday 21 March 2013.

Picture from here

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thursday, 21 March—in other words, the day after tomorrow—is National Close the Gap Day. I would like to acknowledge all of those who have supported and participated in this event, which will happen around the country. However, the evidence is clear that there are still significant differences in health, education, employment and social outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderpeople and other Australians. National Close the Gap Day is an important opportunity to promote awareness of these issues and take collaborative action towards improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I note also that Close the Gap Day is a community owned initiative, whereas Closing the Gap is the government's program for addressing these issues. It may sound pedantic, but it is important to point out the difference between the two.

The Shadow report 2013: on Australian governments' progress towards closing the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians (see below to read and/or download the report) outlines some progress in some areas, such as Indigenous child health. Although there has been some progress, unfortunately there is some plateauing in mortality rates in children under the age of five. There has been some progress in reducing the rates of smoking during pregnancy and increased attendance at antenatal care, at least once during a mother's first trimester. Early data indicates that the tackling Indigenous smoking and Indigenous Chronic Disease package initiatives are showing signs of being beneficial for adult health and life expectancy in the Indigenous population, which is very promising.

However, National Close the Gap Day serves as a reminder that there is still a very long way to go to close the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and other Australians. Most Australian jurisdictions will not meet the Council of Australian Governments' target to achieve equality in life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Australia by 2030. There has been an increasing trend of babies of low birth weight born to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers. We know low birth weight is associated with later health problems, as well as a greater risk of mortality before the age of five. Funding cuts such as those reported in some states, such as New South Wales and Queensland, will have a potential detrimental effect on any efforts working towards closing the gap. There is also a need for further funding for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan, which is funded until June this year, but as yet there has been no commitment of funds for the next five-year plan. This is absolutely essential.

One of the issues I have mentioned in this place before, and I believe it is absolutely essential if we are going to close the gap in Aboriginal health expectancy and life outcomes, is to ensure that we deal with otitis media, an ear infection characterised by fluid build-up in the middle ear. Unfortunately, if it is left untreated it results in hearing loss. A lot of work is going on in how to deal with combatting otitis media. I very strongly support that work and the funding for that work, but unfortunately this disease strikes so many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly when they are babies. Babies as young as three months old can get otitis media. In some communities, up to 90 per cent of babies are affected by otitis media. So not only do we need to put in the effort to treat and eradicate this disease; we need to put in the funding resources to address the issues of hearing loss and hearing impairment for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

If a child starting their first day at school cannot hear because of hearing impairment, they will not be able to participate in class. Evidence shows that, if children are alienated from day one in the classroom, they will not engage in schooling and will be unable to meet education standards. We also know that hearing loss has been associated with a number of people in juvenile detention and in adult prisons. The evidence is there that this problem can have a devastating impact on communities. So as well as funding the health plan we need to put renewed emphasis on early literacy and also on programs to address hearing loss.