Print this pageYirrkala Community Cabinet Meeting
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The Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers are escorted to lunch by members of the local indigenous community.
On Wednesday 23 July 2008, the Australian Government held its fifth Community Cabinet Meeting in the remote indigenous community of Yirrkala, Northern Territory, in North-East Arnhem Land. The Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers met over 400 community members at Yirrkala Community Education Centre, before holding a Community Lunch at nearby Rika Park. This historic event marked the first time federal Cabinet has met in an indigenous community.
The Prime Minister and fellow Cabinet ministers were welcomed to Yirrkala by a flag raising ceremony filled with indigenous song and dance performed by students from Yirrkala Community Education Centre.
Local Yolgnu elder Banambi Wunungmurra opened the Community Cabinet meeting, and introduced the Prime Minister, who delivered a short address highlighting the government’s commitment to ‘close the gap’ in indigenous life expectancy, year 12 school completion, and literacy and numeracy rates.
Meeting attendees then took the opportunity to ask questions of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers, raising issues such as the shortage of housing for teachers and other service providers, the current lack of indigenous mental health workers, the importance of education in East Arnhem Land’s many homeland communities, and the effectiveness of the income management system introduced as one of the Northern Territory Emergency Response measures.
After the meeting, Cabinet members talked informally with community members before the Prime Minister, ministers and all meeting attendees were led down to Rika Park by a traditional welcoming bunguul ceremony. At the Park, a further bunguul was held, with displays from numerous clans from throughout the East Arnhem region.
At the Yirrkala meeting, the Prime Minister again reinforced his commitment to the Community Cabinet process, which ensures Cabinet keeps in touch with the thoughts and struggles of ordinary Australians. More that 2500 Australians have attended the five Community Cabinet meetings held to date.
In the afternoon, the ministers headed to nearby Nhulunbuy, for four separate Community Interactive Forums which addressed the areas of Health, Families and Housing; Education, Employment and Training; Environment and Infrastructure; and Small Business, Industry and Tourism.
The day’s program then concluded with a Community Afternoon Tea at the Nhulunbuy Town Hall. Several hundred community members enjoyed afternoon tea, before hearing short addresses from local member Warren Snowdon MP and the Prime Minister. All ministers enjoyed the opportunity to mingle with members of the community in a relaxed and informal environment.
The next Community Cabinet Meeting was held at Hallett Cove School in Hallett Cove, South Australia, on Thursday 14 August 2008.
Photos on this page provided by AUSPIC