-----Original Message----- From: Webcentral <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Speech by Chairperson David Wragge Chairperson of the Central Queensland >Regional Council At the Official Opening of Dreamtime Cultural Centre's >Lodge Rockhampton, Central Queensland 29 February 2000 > >Senator John Herron, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander >Affairs, ATSIC Commissioners and Regional Council Chairpersons, Councillors, >Bob Blair, friends. > >First of all I want acknowledge and pay my respects to the traditional >owners of the land, the Darumbal people for their welcome and invitation to >us all - to celebrate with them today. > >For there is much to celebrate. > >But first of all, I want to publicly and personally welcome the fact that we >have Senator John Herron, the Federal Minister for Aboriginal and Torres >Strait Islander Affairs standing side by side with us, to jointly open this >new facility with ATSIC. > >Minister, thank you for being here and joining forces with ATSIC here >today. > >I think Indigenous people and the wider Australian community want to see >more of this. > >They want to see the Ministers of the Federal government working more with >ATSIC leaders to acknowledge and promote the success stories and >achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. > >Indigenous people deserve to see more of this. > >And the people of Australia deserve to see more of this- because they are >not getting the full story of what is happening, of what is being achieved. > >They want and need to see positive images and stories about Aboriginal >Australia. > >Because these successes are happening inspite of the tremendous disadvantage >that we all know exists- and we all constantly hear about. > >And this is the sort of approach we need more of to make serious inroads >into the shocking disadvantage that remains the norm for our people, rather >than the exception. > > An approach that sees ATSIC, the indigenous community and Federal, State >and local governments and business listening to and then responding to >Aboriginal aspirations, by putting all our collective shoulders to the >wheel. > >Later this year, when the international media are in Australia for the >Olympics and are sending reports about indigenous Australians and our >circumstances in this country, around the world . > >I want to see bus-loads of them coming here to Dreamtime, to see and report >on one of the great success stories in Aborginal Affairs in this country, >right here in Rockhampton in Central Queensland. > >As well as on the great underlying disadvantage and discrimination our >people still live under. > >And the international media can also report that Aboriginal people have been >trying to throw off Welfare Dependency long before it became the buzz >phrase a year or two ago. > >Bob Blair and everyone involved here at Dreamtime Cultural Centre are doing >just that and have been since before 1988. > >And ATSIC has been doing that for years too- because we've been funding this >centre since at least 1992. > >And for the record I want to say that indigenous people never wanted to be >welfare dependent, never asked to be welfare dependent and never voted to be >kept welfare dependent. > >As I said , we have much to celebrate here today. > >It says a lot about this centre that there are many indigenous people here >today. > >There are brothers and sisters here not just from Rockhampton, and from >around Central Queensland, but also from Brisbane and western Queensland. > >This is the way in our traditional past, this is still our way today. > >Our tribes, our people gather together at cultural places and sites to meet >and celebrate important events. > >This shows that our traditions and culture are still strong. This also shows >that this centre is a significant place for our people. > >One we come to, one we use and one we have great pride in. > >In many ways it is also a "site of reconciliation." > >Because Dreamtime Cultural Centre is a also major drawcard for other >Australians and for interstate and overseas visitors. > >Who can come here and see a living, continuing culture and its people. > >And to see that in a place and in a way, which combines the traditions of >our past, with the best facilities and technology of the twenty-first >century. > >And they do so in their droves, more than 35,000 a year, seven days a week > > I believe that the Dreamtime Cultural Centre here in Rockhampton stands out >not just as cultural and tourism icon for this region, which it is. > >Dreamtime is what the desire for Aboriginal self-determination and >self-management is about. > >In fact what we have here is one of the major success stories in Aboriginal >Islander Affairs in this country, in the last 12 years. > >One that draws together the indigenous community and other Australians in a >way that engenders mutual and real respect for each other. > >This Centre was born back in 1988 out of the dreams for a better future of >local Aboriginal people. > >It was a dream for Aboriginal people like Bob Blair. A dream where local >Aboriginal people use our land to work for themselves, work for a better >future for their families, their children and their community. > >A future that they determined, that they fought to happen, that they have >made happen. > >A future where Aboriginal culture, heritage and pride can not just survive, >but thrive. > >A future where local Aboriginal people could draw from our past and our >culture. > >But also get ourselves into a position where we could also own, manage, >build, and control a place, that not only maintains and celebrates our links >with the past. > >Where we could also work, earn incomes, train and learn new skills, and >manage and run the whole show. > >Bob Blair and those around him on The Dreamtime Board have done that piece >by piece, bit by bit, stage by stage over 12 years. > >Well that future is well and truly here now. Dreamtime Cultural Centre is >that place. > >A "dream come true." > >Full of wonderful facilities, Dreamtime is a place our community can and >does use - to meet gather, and continue our culture. > >One we do own, manage, run, work in, and work for. There are 26 Indigenous >people working here. > >Dreamtime has also employed and helped train more than 50 indigenous youth >in the last 11 or so years, many of whom have gone on to other jobs and >careers. > >This is a business Aboriginal people have turned into a growing, prospering >success story, not only for us. > >But for the whole region, and for all the community in Rockhampton, and >across Central Queensland, indigenous and non-indigenous. > >Dreamtime is a source of pride, and a source of income and business for the >city of Rockhampton and its region. > >This is a point which is not well understood , even ignored. Particularly in >rural, regional and remote Australia. > >The limited money available to Aboriginal Australia through ATSIC Regional >Councils to the organisations we fund - is a vitally important ongoing, >economic boost to rural, regional and remote Australia. > >These are funds, for housing, CDEP, infrastructure - such as this Cultural >Centre for example, and operational costs, that are allocated because of >local decisions - by local ATSIC Regional Councils - not by remote >bureaucrats in Brisbane or Canberra. > >This is money which is controlled locally, and spent locally, in your >region, that circulates locally, on goods services and wages that are paid >in your community and regions and spent in your local businesses, and shops. > > >In the case of Dreamtime Cultural Centre, ATSIC funding assistance is worth >in excess of $4m to the Rockhampton region. > >This does not count in, the millions of dollars that the bus loads and car >loads of tourists who visit this centre have brought and will continue to >bring into the regional economy, in ever increasing numbers. > >In these times of closing government and banking services in Australia's >regions, and the crises in Regional Australia, the significance of ATSIC >funding being maintained, and available at the local level, is an issue for >everyone who lives in outback Australia. > >Not just for Indigenous people and their representatives. > >And while they are thinking about that, they should also be thinking about >what is going ahead here at this Cultural Centre. > >Because the Lodge and new Motel we are here to open today, just like the >Darumbal Conference Center here, the theatre, the museum, the grounds and >cultural displays, the arts and crafts -and the indigenous staff here , I >might add- are second to none. > >They are the finest in the region. It's all top draw. And it's all >indigenous. > >And what we have here is of major benefit to everyone in Rockhampton, and >this region of Queensland. > >Ladies and gentlemen, I want to now ask you to put your hands together to >join with Minister Herron and I, > >To applaud Bob Blair and the Dreamtime Board, and the local indigenous >people, the Darumbal, for the outstanding success they have built here over >the last 12 years . > >And applaud them on what they have achieved - not only themselves and the >local indigenous community but for indigenous enterprise around this >country. > >Applaud them for a centre and now the new motel and lodge, which are right >up there with the best there is. For all Australians to see and enjoy. >Thankyou. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
