Rule Book approved by ORIC

At last, the new Rule Book has been approved by the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC). It has been through a long and tedious process since July last year and has been worked on by both the current and previous GAC Boards.
It has taken many hours of hard work in the form of a special workshop by the Members in February 2009, as well as ongoing consultation and advice from GAC’s solicitor and was finally approved by the Members at the Special General Meeting held on Saturday, 23 May.
The draft was submitted to ORIC for approval shortly after and GAC received official approval on 2 June.
If anyone would like a copy of the new Rule Book, please contact the Member Services Unit.

Logo Competition extended

The closing date for the logo competition has been extended until Wednesday August the 12th.
We would like to have more options to choose from so please send us your entries. Thank you for the entries so far.

A resource file is available by calling the Gumala office. You can pick up a print or we can email you the pdf file. It has some tips on logo design and some examples of logo's from the region so that you can get some ideas about what works and what doesn't... and make sure your logo is unique.

Members meeting held in Karratha

Thank you to all the members who attended the Members Meetings in Karratha on 23rd and 24th.
The Meetings saw many issues resolved.
The new GAC Rule Book (Constitution) was ratified by the Membership.
The 2007-08 audited financial reports were finally presented and ratified. The new auditors were also appointed for the next financial year.
The members also ratified the change to the General Gumala Foundation Trust Deed in regards to the Tax Office requirement. This means that the Foundation will save millions of dollars in tax over the next 20 years.
The approval of these key important items mean that GAC and GIPL can keep moving forward in our progress and improvements in assisting the members.

Meeting Dates

The next GAC Board Meeting is now due on the 4-5 May

If you are applying for membership please submit your application 2 weeks prior to the meeting date to give the board members time to consider your application.

NAIDOC WEEK

The NAIDOC committee are in the process of making plans for the celebration of NAIDOC week to be held in Tom Price in the first week in June. Contact Tuesday Lockyer.

Thank you to everyone who are participating in the Housing Survey

Over the past few weeks interviewers from GAC and GIPL have been gathering lots of information that will help identify our members' housing needs. This will be used to ask the government for funding.  We hope the government will be able to support Gumala to get some houses for our members - but we can't promise anything yet of course.

Everyone will have an opportunity to have their say by phone, visit or mail.  So far the Gumala staff have visited many people in Karratha, Roebourne, Wickham, Hedland, Newman and Tom Price. There will be more visits around Tom Price, Youngaleena and Onslow soon.  Many other people have been contacted by phone. Letters will be sent out to anyone who hasn't been reached by phone or by a visit. 

Special Newsletter for Tom Price and Paraburdoo

A version of the Gumala newsletter was distributed to the residence of Tom Price and Paraburdoo this week. The content was taken from a combination of the last three member newsletters and info from the Gumala website.

This issue was for local residents who may not know much about Gumala or the traditional owners of this land. If anyone else would like a copy please let us know.

We have had some good feedback. People were interested to hear what we are doing at Gumala.

You still need to be over 18 to be a Member

We have had a few applications for membership from under 18s. The eligibility criteria hasn't changed. There was a proposal put forward at the Feb AGM that membership age be lowered but there was no consensus and no decision made. This issue is yet to be decided by the Board of Directors.

Children of members are currently eligible for assistance with education, sport and recreation programs. We offer scholarships to help students who study away from home. We can provide assistance to sporting teams that include children of Gumala members. Please put in your application to Gumala and we can see if we can help with such things as transportation costs, equipment or uniforms. We are currently contacting schools what we can do from that direction, if you have any ideas please let us know.

The Tom Price Enrichment Centre is a success story. They are partly funded by Gumala and have had great success with students excelling in a number of fields. Congratulations to the 5 children of Gumala members who graduated from year 12 in 2008.

Your Directors

The Board of Directors voted in at the AGM in November 2008 were Archie Tucker, Chairperson, Banyjima. Natalie Parker, Deputy Chairperson, Nyiyparli. Darren Injie, Secretary, Innawonga. Karen Tommy, Banyjima. May Byrne, Banyjima. Gordon Yuline, Nyiyparli. David Stock, Nyiyparli. Sally Anne Johnson, Innawonga. Churchill Jones, Innawonga.

The board meets in Tom Price once a month to consider new members and make decisions on major initiatives to better the lives of Gumala members. Feel free to contact your language group representative with any concerns or ideas. If you can't contact them direct feel free to leave a message by phone, fax or letter via the Tom Price office.

Gumala Radio

Gumala broadcasts music, news and commentary relevant to Aboriginal people of the Pilbara.

Community Broadcasts
We are in the process of installing new equipment which will improve the quality of the broadcast and open up the station to involvement from the wider Aboriginal community; not just Gumala members; through a Community Broadcasting Foundation Grant. Interested people will be able to learn about radio broadcasting and even have their own radio show.

Please call or email Tadam! if you would like to request a song, make a programming suggestion, share information or promote an idea or event on air.

Frequencies: Tom Price 106.5 FM, Bellary 101.7 FM, Roebourne 102.9 FM, Onslow 101.7 FM, Wakuthuni 104.9 FM, Youngaleena 102.1 FM, Paraburdoo 102.9 FM

Work with the Indigenous Mining Services (IMS)

Indigenous Mining Services (IMS) is an aboriginal business owned by the Traditional Owners of Innawonga, Banyjima and Nyiyparli country. IMS is looking for aboriginal workers looking for work, particularly in the mining industry. If you are interested call IMS on 08 9140 2575 or email IMS at IBN or see the IMS ad on the Wangka Maya website

WACOSS Hardship Utilities Grant Scheme (HUGS)

WACOSS is offering a Hardship Utilities Grant Scheme which provides financial assistance to people to pay their electricity accounts to avoid being disconnected. This service is available to people who have been referred to financial counselling by Synergy or Horizon and are in danger of having electricity cut off. The grant is between $100 and $500, depending on level of debt and remoteness of location.
For more detail see WACOSS information sheet, a pdf will open in your browser, or contact Western Australian Council of Social Service Inc. (WACOSS)
Telephone: (08) 9420 7222 Freecall: 1300 658 816 Fax: (08) 9486 7966
email WACOSS

What if I don’t use the whole of your Gumala Purchase Orders?

Purchase Orders (including food or fuel vouchers) can only be used for one purchase. For example if the purchase order is for food to the value of $200 and you only spend $150, the purchase order will be closed off at $150. It cannot be used again. Please send in your receipts and GAC will adjust your balances.

Ambulance cover -cards are on their way

St Johns will be sending out Membership Cards within the next six weeks to all members. They are running behind time this year. If you need to use the Ambulance service please go ahead and do so – you are covered. Send any bills you receive to us and we will pass them on to St Johns.

Autumn Newsletter is out, call for contributions

The Autumn edition of the newsletter has just been sent out. If you don't receive one in the next few days please let us know and we will send you one. We may need to update your address.

The newsletter comes out once every three months. If you have anything that you would like to say in the next newsletter please contact us and have a chat with Cate. We would like to use your story with photos. If you don't know how to say what you want to say, then have a chat to Cate and she can write something up for you to approve.

Turn around times have greatly improved

Our new computer system is in, we are processing funding applications much quicker, though please be patient as we make sure all of your information is transferred correctly. Allow 3-5 working days for Health and Well Being goods, though food and fuel vouchers are done the same day. If you have changed your address or would like to supply your phone number and email address please email the Gumala office.

We are addressing problems in service delivery

With the new administration, the amount of funds that are being distributed to members has increased greatly, particularly with the introduction Health and Well Being funds for all members (who don't already receive Pensioner Health and Wellbeing).

With the vast number of applications coming in every day we are flat out doing the daily food vouchers, and do have a backlog with a 5-10 day turn around on other goods. This means we are not always able to return phone calls about the status of your application. Rather than calling you back while the application is being processed, we will call you if there is a problem, or when your application is finalised and you can pick up your goods.

We realise people would like to know how their application is going and would like to pick up their goods as soon as possible. To address this situation we have:
-put on more staff in the Member Services Unit.
-developed a new computer system that will be in place in the next week or two so that we can answer your queries and process your applications more quickly.

Gumala is YOUR organisation

At the AGM concerns were raised as to whether Gumala was representing the members and the problems with service delivery.

This is just a reminder that their are many changes happening at Gumala. The new board was just elected in November 2008, and all directors are indigenous Gumala members elected by Gumala members. The board directs the Executive Officer and the GAC administration, so no major decisions are made by staff without the consent of the Directors, who represent the members.

If you have any concerns or ideas your committee member would like to hear from you.

Get your membership application in early

Membership applications need to be approved by the committee to make sure that you do qualify to be a Traditional Owner.
Applications need to be received 2 weeks before the meeting to give the committee time to consider your case. Depending on the timing of your application approval may take 6 weeks.

One committee meeting was conducted 16/17th Feb. The next meeting will be in about a month, we will notify you of the exact date in this blog.

Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Presenters wanted

Local Traditional Owners are wanted to present Cultural Awareness at the Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Brockman and Marandoo mine sites.

-Ongoing delivery support is offered.

Interested persons please email Tuesday or Norm or call the GAC office for phone numbers.

Changes to CDEP

On 19 December 2008, the Government announced reforms to the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program and Indigenous Employment Program (IEP) which will be implemented on 1 July 2009.

The Government says that these reforms are a key element in meeting the target of halving the employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade.
The CDEP program will be restructured to:

• build individual skills and capacity to take up work where opportunities arise 
  
• provide on-the-job work experience 
  
• provide voluntary mobility assistance 
  
• build capacity of communities including through supporting priority projects 
  
• build capacity of local Indigenous organisations to deliver a range of services, including other employment services such as the Indigenous
  
• Employment Program (IEP) and make sure community members undertaking similar activities have the same income and participation requirements. 
  
• CDEP positions that have supported the delivery of government services will be converted to properly paid jobs, with ongoing funding to be available for those jobs to ensure sustainability, including in the Northern Territory. 
  
• A new remote workforce strategy will be introduced creating 400 traineeships in government service delivery and 60 additional positions in land and sea management.
  
• New participants in reformed CDEP will access the program while on relevant income support payments rather than be paid CDEP wages.
  
• Existing CDEP participants will be eligible to receive CDEP wages until 30 June 2011 to allow for an adjustment period, subject to allowable breaks of two weeks. 
  
• Funding agreements for reformed CDEP will be offered for a three year period.
  

Jobs at Gumala

We are always looking for members to work at the GAC Office, GEPL and Karijini. Please let us know if you are interested. Some jobs require experience and some do not, with on-the-job training or traineeships.

• We regularly need admin staff at the GAC office. Please check the Tom Price Coles notice board.
  
• At GEPL we need drivers and maintenance people.
• At Karijini we need hospitality staff and tourist guides.
• We have just employed an indigenous mentor for the trainees, and plan to employ another in May. 

Health and Well Being 2009

The Health and WellBeing Program is running again this year. Remember to include a quote from your supplier: 

• please be patient as we have many, many applications all coming in at once. 
  
• food vouchers are usually processed at the end of the same day. 
  
• PLEASE allow 5-10 working days for your other orders to go through, we are getting through them as fast as possible.
  
• please do not ring to see how your application is going unless it is a food voucher. It won't make the process any faster, we don't have time to ring you back to say how it is going. 
• we WILL call you if there is a problem with your application. 
• we WILL ring you as soon as your application has been processed.
  

Apology Anniversary, 13 February 2009

Sharing stories, taking the next steps …
The Apology to the Stolen Generations delivered by PM Kevin Rudd on February 13th 2008

To acknowledge the importance of this event, PLEASE JOIN US for a Lunchtime Sausage Sizzle in Tom Price at the Gazebo (outside Coles).

 

FRIDAY 10.30am until 2.30pm We will be releasing balloons at 2.30pm

Please pass this information onto GUMALA Members and the wider community EVERYONE is welcome. 

These events are registered on the Reconciliation Australia. 

Related links: The National Sorry Day Committee and the Stolen Generations Alliance.

Some Pics

Reconvened Annual General Meeting (AGM) and CATSI workshop

The reconvened AGM of Gumala Aboriginal Corporation members including all Banyjima, Innawonga and Nyiyapali Peoples is to be held Saturday 14 February 2009 at 9.30am.
This will be followed by a Gumala Discussion Forum.
The venue is the The Community Centre, Tom Price, WA

The CATSI Workshop of members is to be held at the same venue on
Sunday 15 february 2009 at 9.30am

A notice was mailed Jan 24, 2009 which included the agenda for items to be discussed. 

If you didn't receive your information please let us know so that we can update your address.

Women and Work

As part of our 2009 Women & Work program, work, pre-employment and scholarship news and opportunities will be posted on the notice board in the GAC office, in this blog and in the Newsletter. Please contact Gumala if you would like to discuss how to access programs.

Comments

Everyone will now be able to make comments on these posts, though the administrator reserves the right not to publish anything inappropriate.

Office Manager

The office manager job has been filled. Thank you

Job and training opportunities

There are currently various programs running to enable indigenous people more chances to enter the workforce. If you are interested please let us know and we can get you started.

For example...

Australian Employment Covenant – the brainchild of Fortescue CEO Andrew Forrest which aims to get 50,000 Indigenous people into jobs and keep them there.

Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Qantas, Commonwealth Bank, Foxtel, ANZ and National Australia Bank are amongst the participating companies.
It's a big, inspirational plan that depends on a three-way partnership

• employers guaranteeing jobs for Indigenous Australians
  
• the Australian Government meeting its responsibility to get them job-ready
  
• Indigenous Australians taking responsibility to take up jobs and stay in them

Indigenous Australians who decide to take this first step can then enrol in a short intensive training course that will get them ready for on-the-job mentoring with a participating employer.

Get connected

RECEIVE EMAILS -To receive an email when this blog has a new message you can sign up as a follower, see the link at the bottom left of this page. 

MAKE COMMENTS -Everyone will now be able to make comments on these posts, though the administrator reserves the right not to publish anything disrespectful.

Please email GAC if you would like individual information.

Scholarship for Aboriginal Health workers

The Rio Tinto Aboriginal Health Partnership offers a Scholarship for Aboriginal Health workers to further their studies.

• In 2009 Rio Tinto, in partnership with Kulunga Research Network at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research will offer scholarships to Aboriginal Health Workers in the Pilbara region.  
  
• Up to $5000 will be granted to give a Health worker the opportunity for further study at the Marr Mooditj Aboriginal Health College in Perth or the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Council (KAMSC Inc) School of Health Studies in Broome to undertake the Diploma of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care (Practice). 
  
• This will cover course fees, uniforms, study expenses and some employment costs.
  
• The Partnership has committed at least one of the eight scholarships to be awarded in the Pilbara.
  
• Please contact Don at Gumala for more info and an application form.