WANGKABeneficiaries Newsletter

Edition 8 | Nov/Dec 2013

Follow us on Facebook ‘IBN Group Pilbara’ ibngroup.com.au

Inside this edition…

CEO’s Comment

Meet Dorothea the IBN Nurse

Work for us: Positions vacant

The IBN website is ready

Start a small business

A new home with help from IBN

There are a few updates from the recent Board meeting I would like to share.

Thanarru!

Next year’s budget has been approved. With our new Nurse (more about this later) on the job in Karratha and Roebourne, we are moving our focus from our Health Project to our Housing, Work Ready, and Lore, Language and Culture Projects.

New staff positions have also been approved. Some of these positions will be to run the Karratha office when it opens early next year, and there are four new Representative Corporation Coordinator positions based at the South Hedland office.

The Board also asked IBN to buy more land in the Elements subdivision in South Hedland.

We have nine lots already, on which we plan to built houses and apartments that will be rented to IBN people at affordable prices. We will keep you posted on this project.

The Board has also started to make Housing and Enterprise Grants from the Financial Assistance Trust (FAT). As you may know changes have been proposed to the management of the FAT and the MAC Agreement. A letter was recently sent to all IBN people about this. The changes are designed to make it clear who can benefit from the MAC Agreement, and give people the opportunity to appoint new language group-based Trustees to manage the FAT. We will be holding meetings in the coming

months to discuss this and decide on a way forward.

The new IBN Nurse, Dorothea Skelly, started work with IBN last month and she is here to help people in the Roebourne and Karratha areas. Dorothea works exclusively for the IBN community and I encourage you to contact her if you need help with your health. Her contact details are inside the newsletter.

It’s been a good few months at IBN and we are making solid progress in reaching our vision of improving the health, happiness and prosperity of the Yinhawangka, Banyjima and Nyiyaparli people.

Grant Bussell Chief Executive Officer

IBN staff at a recent team training day in South Hedland. Would you like the join the IBN team? Check out our latest job opportunities inside this edition of IBN Wangka or visit www.ibngroup.com.au and upload your CV.

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After months of hard work by the IBN Work Ready crew the first house in Wakathuni to receive the Ripples Effect treatment is nearly finished.

At the end of the project the crew will receive a Certificate II in Building and Construction, and the house has proved a worthy challenge to test their new skills.

Derelict and abandoned for years, it now has a new roof and insulation, a complete electrical rewiring, new tiles, windows and internal walls, fresh paint and a shiny new bathroom and kitchen. A new fence is up and the landscaping is underway.

Coordinated by Cecilia Fernandez from the Tom Price office, Cecilia hopes the success of the project will mean other abandoned houses in Wakathuni and Bellary Springs communities will receive the Ripples Effect treatment.

To get involved in Cecilia’s next building project contact the Tom Price office on 9189 3706.

The Ripples effect ProjecT UPDATe: The house in Wakathuni is nearly finished

Look at it now! Completely refurbished inside and out. Final touches, the new grass is in and fence is up…a coat of paint the house will be ready…

Before…

Samantha and Diane take a break from showing their new skills with power tools

Ripples Effect Traditional Owner and IBN Work Ready Crew member, Aquinas Gilba, lives in Wakathuni and is using his new skills to help his own community. Visit the ‘Latest News’ section at www.ibngroup.com.au to see the amazing progress of this IBN initiative.

The

IBN Wangka Beneficiaries Newsletter November/December 2013 | 3

Meet Dorothea the new IBN NurseFree exPerT MeDIcAl cAre For The IBN coMMUNITy

The new IBN Nurse, Dorothea, is here to help the IBN Community.

IBN is funding a full time nurse to provide expert health services exclusively to members of the IBN community living in the Roebourne and Karratha areas.

We are working closely with the Pilbara Health Network (PHN) to deliver the new service, and the IBN Nurse, Dorothea Skelly, is based in the PHN office in Karratha.

The IBN Nurse is a bit different from a regular nurse; Dorothea is a ‘Physician Assistant’. This means she can work in any medical discipline as directed by a doctor.

Physician Assistants can perform patient examinations, order tests, assist in surgery and perform minor surgical procedures.

Dorothea will travel to surrounding communities, make home visits and host regular health workshops and clinics. She can also refer IBN people to other health services that they might need.

IBN CEO, Grant Bussell, said the new service will give IBN people easier access to medical help.

“The health of the Yinhawangka, Banyjima and Nyiyaparli people is a top priority for us,” he said.

“We know that the most effective way to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people is to provide better access to health care, especially in regional areas. Better access means people can get the help they need.

The IBN Nurse is here to make it easier to get that health check or referral to other health services, whatever IBN people need to take care of their health.”

Michelle Hubert has been working with Dorothea to introduce her to IBN people in their homes and around town. If you need help from the IBN Nurse call 9185 6662 or email nurse@phn.org.au or speak to a Field Officer.

We all knoW that a good education is really important To help IBN people get qualifications beyond high school we have created a new Community Program.

The Higher Education program can help with the costs of studying at TAFE, including apprenticeships and traineeships, and going to university. Contact us on 1800 014 401 for more information or visit the ‘Education’ section on the website www.ibngroup.com.au

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There Are NeW APPlIcATIoN ForMS For The coMMUNITy ProgrAMS... We hope you find the new forms easier to use. If you have old forms please throw them out and only use the new forms. New forms are available at www.ibngroup.com.au or visit an office or call us on 1800 014 401 for copies.

How long will it take to process my application? The standard wait time for most applications is three business days, although wait times are different for some programs including education, housing and enterprise grants. Check with us before lodging your application.

Approvals for help during an emergency or crisis, if you need food for example, can often be done the same day if you get your application in before midday.

Do you need to travel? IBN needs your application three days before you have to travel or your application may not be approved.

What if your travel plans change? Let IBN know as soon as possible or you may have to pay any cancellation fees and rebook the travel yourself.

What does it mean when we ask ‘why do you need help with these expenses’?When applying for most Community Programs you need to show that there is an unexpected crisis or genuine emergency that has made you ask for help. This is because help from the CHAT has to be ‘charitable.’ IBN can’t approve an application if you have just spent too much money.

When you see this symbol, it means you need to attach paperwork to support your application. Paperwork may include bank statements, bills, quotes or invoices.

Will help from the CHAT affect my Centrelink payments?Yes, it can.

You should always tell Centrelink about any income you receive and any changes in your circumstances. This is because if you get overpaid you have to pay it back, and you might end up in debt. Examples of income from the CHAT might include:

• Royalties

• Sitting fees

• Heritage surveying fees

You can receive some income without it affecting your Centrelink payment. For more information contact Centrelink on 132 468 or visit www.centrelink.gov.au

Richie Dhu has started his own gardening business in Port Hedland after applying for a Major Enterprise Grant from IBN. The grant helped to buy a custom built trailer, tools, signage and uniforms.

Richie had been working on large landscaping contracts for mining companies, although he wanted to start a business that would help other Aboriginal people and give him the job satisfaction he felt was missing working for large companies.

Richie contacted IBN with his idea to start a gardening and maintenance business that would offer affordable gardening and maintenance services to local Aboriginal people.

“Lots of people in Hedland can’t get help around the house because they can’t afford the high prices some contractors charge,” he said.

“I wanted to do something that gets people the help they need to keep their houses safe and neat.”

Beneficiaries Services Manager at IBN, Ian Williamson, helped Richie

apply for the grant and put him in contact with Many Rivers who helped to develop a business plan.

Richie hopes to eventually expand the business to employ local Aboriginal people.

“My goal is to create employment opportunities for our local Indigenous people and establish good working relationships with other locally based businesses.”

Richie is keen to encourage other IBN people thinking of starting a small business to apply for the grant.

For more information contact IBN on 1800 014 401 or email iwilliamson@ibngroup.com.au

If you need help around the house contact Dhuy’s Gardening Service on 0457 642 897.

Start a Small buSineSS with an enterpriSe Grant from ibnDhUy’S gArDeNINg ServIceRichie Dhu started his own small

business with help from IBN

Important information about lodging applications and receiving payments

IBN Wangka Beneficiaries Newsletter November/December 2013 | 5

clINToN FreeMAN AND hIS FAMIly hAve MoveD INTo A hoMe oF TheIr oWN WITh helP FroM A hoUSINg grANT FroM IBN

This is his story…

My wife, Tara, and I have three children Yasmin, Charlii and Billie Rose. We have just moved into the house that IBN helped us to buy in Bridgetown. We got a housing grant from IBN and used the money toward our deposit.

We are slowly unpacking boxes that have been in storage for 12 months. I think without help from IBN they would have been in storage for another 12 months.

We applied for the grant because we wanted to buy our own house. Trying to find a long term rental is sometimes very difficult and moving from home to home is not the sort of life we want to give our children.

Our block is about five acres and we will hopefully be able to grow enough fruit and veg, and maybe even get a few sheep, to live a semi sustainable lifestyle. On the land we now have we should be able to that one day.

The girls start school next week at Bridgetown Primary School. They will have security and stability which we believe is very important for young kids.

I would encourage other IBN people to use the housing grant to set themselves up. It will help you get out of the rental trap or even if you are struggling to afford a rental it may help you get your own house. In some areas of the state it is cheaper to buy your own house than live in a rental and pay someone else’s mortgage.

I would say just give it a go, put in the application. You never know what might happen.

Up to $30,000 per IBN member may be available to help people in housing hardship. To apply complete the Charitable Housing Grant application in the ‘forms’ section of the website www.ibngroup.com.au or contact us on 1800 014 401 for more information.

Clinton Freeman and his daughters outside the home IBN helped them to buy in Bridgetown

A new home with help from IBN

Not sure what sort of help you can get from IBN? Our Field Officers are here to help you in lots of different ways. They can help you access our Community Programs, connect you with other services you might need or even give you a hand with paperwork.

To speak to a Field Officer call 1800 014 401 or visit www.ibngroup.com.au fill out the online contact form, and we will call you back.

6 | IBN Wangka Beneficiaries Newsletter November/December 2013

School holIday programField Officers from the Hedland office took a group of IBN boys on several day trips during school holidays. The boys went diving, fishing and snorkeling at Pretty Pool and Finucane Island. After discovering marine life including nipper crabs and tropical fish they enjoyed lunch under shady trees at Cemetery Beach. Like a little pod of fish the boys practiced free diving and snorkelling.Field Officer, Jon Aitchison, who helped supervise the boys, said they behaved well and hopes the success of the program will mean even more activities will be organised next school holidays. If you would like your kids to join the next program contact us on 1800 014 401 and ask to speak to Jon or any of the Field Officers.

In Brief

Kristy McIntosh, Field Officer, with the boys at Pretty Pool

JoIn The Tom prIce playgroupDo you live in or near Tom Price and have young kids? Join the Tom Price Playgroup (pictured left). Held every week in Wakathuni. Free bus service to collect children. Parents are welcome to come along too. Contact Jugari at the Tom Price office 9189 3706 for more information.

IBN Wangka Beneficiaries Newsletter November/December 2013 | 7

Bumper harveST of TomaToeSCecilia Fernandez, Field Officer, (pictured left) with a bumper harvest of tomatoes from the Bellary Springs community garden. Built and maintained with help from the IBN community, the garden provides a regular vege crop in what was once a dry and dusty part of the community.

free BBQ each monTh In Tom prIceThere will be a free BBQ each month at the Tom Price office. All IBN people welcome. Dates will be posted on the notice boards.

goT a good yarn for IBn Wangka? email swilson@ibngroup.com.au or freecall 1800 014 401

congraTulaTIonS To Shaka Bagadu cook, yInhaWangka manCongratulations to Shaka Cooke (pictured above left) NIDA graduate, who has returned home to WA after a successful season in the stage adaptation of Storm Boy by the Sydney Theatre Company and Barking Gecko Theatre Company. Sharka skilfully provided the sound and movement for lifelike pelican puppets. He is now awaiting the start of his next creative endeavour… stay tuned.

neW IBn offIce In karraThaIBN people in Karratha will soon have better access to IBN programs and services with a new office opening in a few months. The address will be Unit 7, 18 Hedland Place, Karratha. We will let you know when the office is open.

exhIBITIon SpaceThe Tom Price office now has a permanent exhibition space for the IBN community to display and sell their work. If you would like to use the space contact David at the Tom Price office on 9189 3706 or just drop in.

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Contact IBNPort Hedland Office: 3 Brand Street South Hedland WA 6277 P: 9140 0900 F: 9172 1136 FREECALL 1800 014 401 E: admin@ibngroup.com.au

Tom Price Office: Shop 1, 973 Central Road Tom Price, WA 6751. P: 9189 3706 F: 9189 3717 E: admin@ibngroup.com.au

Visit us www.ibngroup.com.au

IBN would like to employ as many people from the IBN Community as possible. Come and work for us! We offer plenty of training and support. Some positions can also be offered part time, to discuss this please contact our HR department, details below.

Current jobs:

• Maintenance Team Supervisor, Work Ready Project, Port Hedland. Do you have experience supervising work crews? Know about building, garden and yard maintenance? This job could be for you. Heaps of variety and a housing allowance are included. Apply today.

• Team Leader, Karratha. Newly created role. Contact Jessie, HR Officer, for more information.

To find out more call 1800 014 401 and ask to speak to Jessie Hudson, HR Officer, or visit www.ibngroup.com.au for a job description and to apply online.

New jobs are always coming up so if you are looking for work upload your CV to the IBN website and we will contact you when the right job comes up.

Work for us

New StaffLorraine Injie, Project Officer, Lore Language and Culture Lorraine joined IBN in September. Lorraine is also the long standing Chairperson of the IBN Board.

In this newly created position, Lorraine is responsible for developing the Lore, Language and Culture program, which aims to preserve the cultural history of the Yinhawangka, Banyjima and Nyiyaparli people. Contact Lorraine on 1800 014 401 or email llnjie@ibngroup.com.au

Congratulations to our newest permanent staff members in:heDlANDAlarnah Todd Administration Officer Patricia Ansey Administration Officer Andrew Dhu Trainee Field Officer evelyn Kroczek Team Leader Work Ready ProjectAll four are Traditional Owners and have made an outstanding contribution during their short time at IBN.ToM PrIceThree TO’s employed on a casual basis have started at the Tom Price office. Welcome to: ronald chubby Trainee Field Officerjuanita lyndon AdministrationSamantha Donaldson Administration

Last year the IBN Board set a target of 51 per cent Aboriginal employment at IBN.

Whilst this may seem an easy target, last December there were only five permanent Traditional Owners (TO) working at IBN. That’s less than 17 per cent of our total workforce.

We are now close to our target, with 47 per cent of our workforce being Aboriginal.

This means that almost half of the people working at IBN now are either IBN Traditional Owners or of Aboriginal heritage.

This is a significant achievement that shows the strong commitment we have to ensuring IBN will provide lasting benefit to the IBN community.

Did you know there are more Traditional Owners working at IBN than ever before?

Patricia and Andrew, two new permanent staff members at IBN.

The new IBN website is done, dusted and ready for you to explore. Visit us today at www.ibngroup.com.au

A few good reasons to visit…

• Download application forms and membership forms.

• Do you have sight or reading problems? Click the ‘Listen to this site’ tab on the top right and the words will be read aloud to you.

• Apply for jobs with IBN online and upload your resume.

• Want someone at IBN to call you back? Fill out the online form on the ‘Contact us’ page.

Questions or feedback about the website?

Contact Shannon Wilson, Communications Officer on 1800 014 401 or email swilson@ibngroup.com.au

The IBN website is ready...