-----Original Message----- From: Webcentral <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >PR 65/00 >Friday, 9 June 2000 > >Army Engineers help remote Territorian communities > >Brisbane-based Army Engineers from 21 Construction Squadron, which recently >saw active service in East Timor, have deployed through Darwin to Melville >Island where they will assist the Milikapiti community as part of the >ATSIC/Army Community Assistance Program (AACAP). > >AACAP is a national initiative announced by the Federal Government in 1996 >which combines the efforts of ATSIC, Army and the Department of Health and >Aged Care Services (DHACS) to deliver urgently needed health infrastructure >to remote Indigenous communities. > >At Milikapiti the soldiers are constructing roads, drainage and houses as >well as renovating existing buildings. Once completed they will begin work >at the neighbouring Bathurst Island community of Wurankuwu where Army will >be constructing a water tower, roads and installing a sewage system. The >Wurankuwu deployment will continue until October while the Top End's Dry >season lasts and will utilise Reserves from 21 Construction Regiment. > >A significant part of the AACAP project is the training of local people in >basic engineering, maintenance and repair skills as well as health education >that will be undertaken by an Army medical team. > > "This type of training is vital for us, as East Timor proved," Unit >spokesman Major Mick Renfrey said. "We have to be able to move far from our >East-coast base and work in remote and difficult locations. Training inside >Australia keeps us sharp and gives us a chance to help our own remote >communities at the same time - it's a growing tradition of which we are very >proud. > >"Our soldiers enjoy the challenge of working far from home. We both teach >and learn from the locals and, in our own small way, we are contributing to >the development of a unified Australian community." > >ATSIC's NT Northern Zone Commissioner, Mr Gatjil Djerrkura, said he was >pleased Army is continuing to work with the Aboriginal people of the >Territory. "To date we've worked well together on projects at Bulla, >Kaltukatjara (Docker River), Milyakburra and Marthakal and I hope that the >positive relationships that have been forged at these communities will >continue." > >Commissioner Djerrkura agrees that training is a major benefit. "As with all >of ATSIC'S health infrastructure projects, AACAP gives our communities the >capacity to be able to pick up valuable skills. But just as important is the >learning you see these soldiers go through by being in contact with >different languages and cultures. It's a valuable step for reconciliation." > >For more information please contact: Steve Ridgway on 0411 885 994 >(Defence) or > Francine Chinn on 0419 819 >025 (ATSIC). > Please note that stills and vision of the >Army's AACAP work on Melville Island will be available from Defence Public >Relations Darwin towards the end of this month. > > ATSIC www.atsic.gov.au > > > > ------------------------------------------------------ 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/
