City of Kalgoorlie - Boulder
City of Kalgoorlie - Boulder
04/27/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/26/2024 19:41
Strengthening Tjuntjuntjara connections a priority
Published on Saturday, 27 April 2024 at 9:31:22 AM
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder representatives visited Spinifex Country on the weekend, marking a key step towards working together with the Tjuntjuntjara community to address the current status of services available to them in Kalgoorlie, including Boulder Camp, social, health, transport support, and other key issues.
Mayor Glenn Wilson, Deputy Mayor Kirsty Dellar, CEO Andrew Brien, and Director Mia Hicks were joined by Goldfields Indigenous Housing Organisation and Kalgoorlie police representatives who met with the Paupiyala Tjarutja Aboriginal Corporation (PTAC) Board and community members.
The agenda provided by the PTAC Board, titled Kulintjaku, roughly translates into English as "to come and listen."
Mayor Wilson says the trip was an important first step in working collaboratively to address the diverse needs of everyone in the community, including visitors from Tjuntjuntjara and residents of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
"Above all else, everyone has a right to feel supported, be respected, and feel safe in our communities," he adds.
Kalgoorlie representatives sought preliminary feedback from the PTAC Board on the proposed upgrade and relocation of Boulder Camp.
Boulder Camp is supported by a State Government election commitment with minor upgrades already completed at the existing location. Consultation, design works, and preliminary costings form Stage 2 of the election commitment, for the relocation of the Camp with enhanced safety and access to other support services for people travelling into Kalgoorlie from Tjuntjuntjara.
"Engaging directly with the Tjuntjuntjara community regarding their concerns and priorities helps us to better understand why issues are recurring and allow us to start talking about how we can address these issues together in a way that is effective, culturally appropriate, and long-lasting.
"The longer-term solutions sought by the Tjuntjuntara community for Boulder Camp will require support from State and Federal agencies, says Mayor Wilson, adding -
"Personally, I found the people warm, welcoming, and very engaged in the consultation. It marks my first visit to a remote Aboriginal community, and I look forward to further engagement."
Jon Lark, PTAC CEO agrees that the visit was extremely successful;
"To my knowledge, this is the first delegation of its kind from Kalgoorlie, and visitors were genuinely here to listen. This is a very welcome step for our community.
"Mutual respect builds a strong foundation for future collaboration, and the PTAC Board will be working to formalise feedback from the community over the coming weeks."