ON FRIDAY August 16, Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts, Don Harwin visited Coonamble.
The visit was part of a week-long tour of the region by the Minister who added the Aboriginal Affairs portfolio to his brief just three months ago.
Minister Harwin’s first stop was a tour of the Outback Arts space, where he viewed the exhibitions currently on show and met with Outback Art’s Executive Director Jamie-Lea Trindall.
The Minister also visited the Coonamble Local Aboriginal Land Council, where he met with CEO Brendan Harris, Craig Britt (NSW ALC, Western Zone) and Michael Cooper (NSW ALC, Western Zone), and Angela Fernando Chair Coonamble LALC.
Ms Fernando said they discussed ways to progress opportunities for local Aboriginal communities.
This included the project underway to establish a Community Garden on a block behind King Street which will act as a meeting place and yarning circle, as well as a place to grow native foods.”We also talked about the local crime situation,” said Ms Fernando.
“There is nothing after school for young people to do – we made that clear.”
Minister Harwin then attended a meeting at the Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service, where he was informed of workforce retention issues, drug abuse, mental health and social emotional issues within the community.
Phil Naden CEO of CAHS said that he embraced the Minister’s visit to Coonamble, and he is remaining optimistic that there will be further follow up by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and the Minister in investing into Coonamble.
“The Minister was interested in the social issues that are affecting Coonamble and the wider shire and how this is impacting on health in Coonamble,” said Mr Naden.
“He was very supportive of placed-based funding for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organizations and he also recognized the struggle that the drought is having on all the farmers, community and business people in Coonamble.”
“The Minister was very impressed with the legacy of CAHS and recognized the important of delivery Primary Health Care to the Aboriginal Community as well as the wider community,”Mr Naden said.
“He was genuinely interested in discussing policy from a Government perspective and how policy could assist CAHS in relation to shaping enhanced service delivery,” he said.
“Policies such as defining Aboriginality and how this applies to Coonamble and those that access services.”
The discussion at CAHS also covered workforce and retention of skilled clinicians as well as the issues surrounding “ICE” in Coonamble, mental health and social emotional wellbeing.