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Aboriginal jobs: Time for action, not talk, says Cr Marli Banks

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More than a third of the Alice Springs population, some 10,000 people, identify as Indigenous but less than 5% of the Town Council workforce of about 300 is Aboriginal, according to Cr Marli Banks.

This makes a mockery of commitments such as the council’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (photo above).

It’s time the council did something about this – and then some, says Cr Banks.

Half the town’s population is expected to be Indigenous in 15 years’ time “as families strengthen and grow,” an ABS source had told her. 

At census time Alice Springs had an Aboriginal unemployment rate of about 37% compared to the national average or 3.5% now, she says. 

[The table in the 2021 census report presenting the region summary, Alice Springs, labour force status for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, does not give 2021 details. It gives these 2016 details:

  • Total labour force employed 87.7%.
  • Total labour force unemployed 12.1%.
  • Labour force participation rate 50.3%.
  • Not in the labour force 49.7%.
  • Total census responding population employed 44.1%.

further statistic “Employment status: People who reported being in the labour force, aged 15 years and over” puts the unemployment rate for Alice Springs and the nation at 5.1%.]

Cr Banks will present a motion at next week’s council meeting for an advisory body to be formed that has a majority of Aboriginal people, a man and a woman from each of the three native title estates, Mparntwe, Antulye and Irlpme.

The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and three elected members would come from the council.

The group would meet four times a year.

The scheme would allow for “further inclusions through a staged consultation process that may include, but not be limited to, the presidents of the Alice Springs town camps” and would develop an Indigenous workforce strategy within the first 12 months.

Cr Banks says the council has a Memorandum of Understanding with Lhere Artepe, the local native title corporation, and with the Tangentyere Council.

However, “the frequency of meetings between the agencies has been very intermittent,” says Cr Banks.

“There is a potential workforce that council may be able to tap into by developing a culturally appropriate workplace strategy, acknowledging that local decision making is critical.

“It cannot be generalised that lack of skill and qualification are leading factors of unemployment, as Indigenous people often hold many certificates and qualifications, yet due to cultural and other factors are prevented from taking the first steps towards conventional employment.

“It would be worthwhile to better understand the obstacles that are preventing council from reaching higher percentages of Indigenous people in the workforce,” says Cr Banks.

“There is anecdotal evidence that supporting employees leads to higher retention and workplace satisfaction which would be of benefit to council overall.”

This article appeared on Alice Springs News on 23 February 2023.

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For all the news from the Alice Springs News, go to https://alicespringsnews.com.au