4 October 2021
The Territory Labor Government has today signed the Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation (JAAC) Local Decision Making (LDM) Implementation Plan 2021-23.
The plan builds upon the JAAC LDM 2018-20 Implementation Plan, and today's signing coincides with the announcement of JAAC being awarded key contracts in remote housing.
The contracts for the Remote Housing Repairs and Maintenance and the Remote Tenancy Management Support Services will be delivered in Barunga, Beswick and Manyallaluk.
The JAAC LDM 2021-23 Implementation Plan has three key focus areas:
· Preserving Jawoyn culture and heritage
· Housing and civil construction programs and opportunities
· Creating more local jobs and training opportunities for Aboriginal Territorians
In 2018, the Territory Labor Government, JAAC, the Commonwealth and the Roper Gulf Regional Council signed and implemented JAAC's first LDM multi-agency partnership agreement.
This marked JAAC as the second community organisation to sign an LDM. This proved highly-successful and helped achieve:
· More jobs within JAAC, with overall employment increasing to 95 staff and 96 per cent of those being Aboriginal Territorians
· Strong relationships within Government to support outcomes including feedback on tender to win more contracts for Jawoyn
· Development and support of Jawoyn subsidiaries, including the Banatjarl Strongbala Wimun Grup and Jawoyn Construction
· Better outcomes for tourism in Nitmiluk National Park
The JAAC Local Decision Making Agreement is one of five in various stages of implementation across the Territory. Engagement for another sixteen is underway.
Quotes from Chief Minister Michael Gunner:
"We recognise and respect Jawoyn's cultural, spiritual, social and economic relationship to country.
"Together we have started a movement that we can now see playing out in the national Closing the Gap agreement - the new understanding and benefits of having complete involvement of First Nations people in decision making.
"We will continue to back in Local Decision Making, because it opens up so many new opportunities for Territorians, which is great for our economy."
Quotes from Minister for Treaty and Local Decision Making Selena Uibo:
"From developing a face-to-face Cultural Awareness and Induction Package, to bringing the the Nitmiluk Festival to life, to winning critical contracts - JAAC are leaders in Local Decision Making.
"It's inspiring to see how much JAAC have achieved in just three years, and we recognise the powerful story and route ahead.
"Local Decision Making is delivering for Aboriginal Territorians by improving services and providing new opportunities and jobs for Aboriginal Territorians on country."
