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 FEBRUARY
The Borella Ride travels through
Mataranka
CONTENTS
Employees of the Month Pg3 Arts Funding Availability Pg4 Australia Day Awards Pg8 Ngukurr Housing Team Pg10 Police Coopera on Pg11 Numbulwar Clean‐Up Pg12 Community Grants Pg12‐13 Emergency Procedures Pg13 Beswick Driver Training Pg14 Borella Ride Pg14 Ngukurr RJCP efforts Pg15 Shaunelle Sandy in Mataranka
Read more on page 14...
Roper Gulf Regional Council
PO Box 1321 Katherine NT 0851
Phone: 08 8972 9000
Fax: 08 8971 2607
www.ropergulf.nt.gov.au
Page 2
Message from the Mayor
Roper Gulf Regional Communities were thankfully spared
the devastation that some of
our Arnhem Land Coastal
neighbors
suffered
when
Tropical Cyclone Lam crossed
the coast in February.
lines of communication with
Police and Emergency Services and our communities. At
a very domestic level we need
to be vigilant at home ensuring that we keep our homes
free of rubbish which can beTony Jack
come missiles in wind and
The damage at some of the that we have personal emercoastal towns was wide gency plans.
and Lee will be attending the
spread and will take a lot of
Australian Local Government
time and money to repair. The Council met in the last week Women Association Biennial
people of the coastal area are of February and had a solid Conference in South Australvery resilient and it is reassur- agenda to be dealt with. ia. This will provide an opporing to hear that Governments There are some exciting pro- tunity to network with Local
have stepped in quickly with jects about to happen and I Government women from
relief and recovery support. It hope to be able to tell you across Australia and to hear
is a reminder of the risk we about some of these in com- about the how other Local
face living in the tropics, espe- ing months.
Governments deal with issues
cially in communities near the
we have in common.
Gulf and on major flooding I am also sorry to announce
rivers.
that Cr Stan Allen who repre- We all have full diaries in
sented South West Gulf Ward March with Local Authority
Our small town of Bulman has decided to resign due to meetings, the Finance Comwhich was directly on the personal reasons. Cr Allen mittee meeting and other
route of the cyclone fortunate- has been a strong advocate broader commitments. In mid
ly only suffered some minor for his ward and community march I will be speaking a
wind and flood damage as the and a strong and respected forum on remote housing
cyclone deteriorated into a member of Council who will which should be a very interweak tropical low. I am told be missed in our delibera- esting forum of relevance to
our preparations and re- tions.
many in our communities.
sponse was well planned and
well executed and I want to On the 25 March three of our All the best in March.
thank our Council staff on the Councillors Ashley, Daylight
ground for a good job well
done.
Black Arm-Band to visit Beswick
We may have dodged a bullet
as they say but the cyclone
season is not finished and
could potentially extend into
April. Climate change will
bring change to our lives and
it is important that our emergency planning is strong and
practiced and that we continue to work and develop strong
The
renowned
Melbourne
based
Indigenous band the “Black Arm Band” has
announced that it is planning a trip to
Beswick to conduct workshops and a
concert later in the year.
Watch Roper Gulf’s website
Facebook page for future details.
and
Page 3
Message from the CEO
Well we are now in full
swing again following
the
festive
season
break. All Managers
have come together for
this
year’s
first
meetings in Katherine
Michael Berto
and many key issues
were discussed and
actions put in place to address them.
forward to the successful new candidate to
Council for the South West Gulf Ward.
The wet season brought its first cyclone with
the arrival of Cyclone Lam into our region.
Cyclone Lam was a category four and of
great concern to everyone in the region. Our
communities
of
Bulman,
Numbulwar,
Beswick, Manyallaluk and Jilkminggan were
all on full alert. They all had followed their
RGRC
Employees
ofplans
the and
Month
emergency
management
were for
fully
Council received some rather sad news with prepared for the worst. My heartfelt thanks to
the resignation of well known Borroloola our Community Service Managers in
identity, Councillor Stan Allen. Councillor particular and staff who did an outstanding
Allen has played an important role on Council job when it was required.
and he ensured that a lot of focus was put on
local roads, particularly in his own community. As luck would have it, all the communities
This will be his legacy and I am grateful for came through pretty much unscathed which is
the valuable contributions he made during the a blessing for everyone concerned. The wet
time he had on Council. Due to Councillor is still on so we all have to remain vigilant with
Allen’s resignation, we now have a by- our weather watch.
election planned to run in March and will look
Employees of the Month - January
National Youth Week
Employees of the Month are selected for their
dedication and hard work within Roper Gulf
Regional Council.
National Youth is coming - April 3rd-16th
2015
Head Quarters: Hilary Sinfield
Barunga: Alma Ngalmi
Beswick: Tara Bush
Borroloola: Bertha Cochran
Bulman: Robbie Dalywater
Eva Valley: Matt McGinness
Jilkminggan: Wayne Collins
Mataranka: Dianne Collins
Ngukurr: Trevor Joe
Numbulwar: Christine Smith
Congratulations to all the winners!
Watch for events around your community or
keep updated with what’s happening on the
Roper Gulf Website ropergulf.nt.gov.au
Page 4
Funding Available for Artists and Arts Groups
Artists (up to $10,000).
Territorians, it’s time to get sector,” Minister Higgins said.
arty.
“The funding can assist TerriThe Northern Territory Gov- tory artists to explore stories,
ernment invites local artists, create new art works, develop
non-profit arts organisations artistic skills or share their
and community groups to creative work in remote areas
apply for arts project funding of the NT and throughout Ausfor activities beginning after 1 tralia.
July 2015.
“These grants help make it
Arts and Museums Minister easier for local artists to
Gary Higgins said the funding showcase and expand their
through the NT Arts Grants talent.”
Program supports the development and showcasing of Funding is available to supTerritory artistic talents.
port arts projects in the categories of: Arts Development
“This enriches the lifestyle of (up to $15,000), Presentation
Territorians and contributes to and
Promotion
(up
to
the development and vibrancy $15,000), Skills Development
of our unique creative arts (up to $15,000) and Emerging
Do you like getting your local news fresh?
Roper Gulf Regional Council’s
Facebook page is the most
immediate way of gaining
breaking news from the
source. You will find employment opportunities, event
information, sport event pho-
tos, meeting dates
and much more!
To join us just like
us—Roper Gulf Regional Council on
Facebook
Past recipients of the grants
include the Knock-em-Down
Theatre for the production of
Mary Anne Butler’s play, Broken, CAAMA Music for the
Tjintu Desert Band tour and
showcase at the Australian
World Music Expo, Watch
This Space for artist camps
celebrating 21 years of this
artist run initiative in Alice
Springs and Darwin musician
Clayton Bennett to develop
his first album.
Arts NT offers the funding
twice a year through dedicated competitive funding rounds
assessed by peers.
Applicants are invited to apply
online now through grants
tracker
(https://
nretasgrants.nt.gov.au/GT7/
Portal/Default.aspx) for the
2015 Project Round 1. The
application period closes at
midnight, 23 March 2015.
Sourced from NT Government
Media Release - Minister for
Arts and Museums, Gary Higgins
Page 5
Employee Profile
Rita Duncan - Executive Assistant to CEO
Reports to: CEO (Michael Berto)
This month’s Staff profile
takes us into the CEO office.
Rita Duncan is the CEO’s
Executive Assistant.
Rita sees her role as allowing
the CEO to focus on his central role by providing administrative support.
Rita is the gatekeeper who
enables Michael to undertake
his role with out being overwhelmed with daily administration.
Keeping track of emails, correspondence and providing a
filter of people and information flowing to the CEO is
a key activity. She also manages the CEO appointments
and schedule, sets up meetings and organises the Strategic Leadership Meetings
and quarterly Mangers meetings. Rita also supports the
Director of Corporate Governance, Greg Arnott. Rita says
that she is amazed how much
information flows into the
CEO’s office and the huge
amounts of emails and correspondence that need to be
organised and the number of
people who want to speak
directly with the CEO.
Rita has worked for Roper
Gulf Regional Council for
over three years, two of these
as the Executive Assistant to
the CEO
Prior to her current role Rita
worked in Assets in fleet
management. She must have
some juggling skills as well.
Before coming to Roper Gulf
Rita lived in South Africa outside a small town near Durban. She provided the office
support and management of
the family electrical contracting business.
As she tells it, “…coming to
Australia was one of the best
things I have done. It is a land
of milk and honey… really”.
She said. “The opportunity for
young people is tremendous,”
she said. It was her drive to
ensure opportunity for her
three children that bought her
to Australia.
“I don’t think Australians fully
realise the advantages and
the opportunity they have in
this country”.
South Africa was a very
stressful place and nothing
would make her go back.
“In Australia we have had the
opportunity to establish ourselves and my family is happy. My two sons are working
and I am about to become a
grandmother of twins!” she
said excitedly. My younger
daughter is doing well at
school… what more could
you ask for?
The day we got our permanent residency was the biggest day for all of us… there
was lots of tears and celebrations.
This year we become eligible
to apply for Australian Citizenship and as a family we
may well do our ceremony
here in Roper Gulf.”
Rita is a busy person proving
the old saying that if you want
something done ask a busy
person. She says her job is
about helping organise the
daily activities of the CEO but
also working with and helping
others.
“Sometimes I feel like I am
being everyone’s mum”.
Rita in her own time loves her
dogs and gardening and was
an accomplished stain glass
artist, something she would
like to take up again when
she has a little spare time.
When asked where she
would like to be in ten years
time she said,
“Living in a beach side cottage… some where warm “.
Page 6
Out & About
PHOTOGRAPH OF
THE MONTH
Boating in the Ngukurr
Pool
Submitted by Paul Amarant:
CSM Ngukurr
Grants Committee Meeting at the OCM
Cyclone Lam heading for Bulman
Mayor Jack & Sam Bush (NLC)
Going for a swim at the Ngukurr
Town Pool
Page 7
Above Left: Clean-Up Australia
Day at Numbulwar
Above Centre: Ole Andersen
and Revona Urban with ABC
representative
Above Right: Borella Ride Horse
Centre Left: Jacqueline Riley
picking up rubbish
Centre Right: Lisa Jelenic
Below Left: Clean-Up Australia
Day at Ngukurr
Below Right: Roper Gulf 4x4
Training group with CDU Trainer
Page 8
Australia Day Celebrations and Awards
Roper Gulf Regional Council would like to congratulate all of the Australia Day nominees
and winners!
Below is a list of the winners:
Community Event of the
Year
Citizen of the
Year
Young citizen of
the Year
Barunga
2014 Barunga Festival
David Shields
Jeffrey McDonald
Borroloola
2014 Christmas Party
Stephen Anderson
Joel Bradford
Bulman
2014 Walaman Festival
Margaret Lindsay
Liam George
Jilkminggan
ABC Haywire Play
Cecilia Lake
Tyrrel Baker
Mataranka
2014 Australia Day Celebrations
Tracey-Ann Wilson
Nil
Australia Day Celebrations around the Region
Mataranka
Mataranka
Mataranka
Ngukurr
Ngukurr
Page 9
A Big Month for Local Authorities
Reconciliation Action Plan
Roper Gulf Regional Council’s Reconciliation Action Plan Draft has been forwarded by Council
to Local Authorities for consultation. Local Authorities will be able at their next meeting to comment and recommend changes on the draft before it returns to Council for ratification.
Local Authority Training
Local Authority
Training
April is a going to be a
big month for Local
Authority
Members.
Training in the areas of
understanding financial
reports and governance
will be offered by Local
Government Association of the Northern
Territory (LGANT) trainers. All Local Authority
members are encouraged this will support
and enhance their role.
For more information
contact Governance on
8972 9000
Beswick
10.00am
20th April 2015
Manyallaluk
3.00pm
20th April 2015
Barunga
10.00am
21st April 2015
Numbulwar
3.00pm
21st April 2015
Ngukurr
10.00am
22nd April 2015
Hodgson Downs
3.00pm
22nd April 2015
Borroloola
10.00am
23rd April 2015
Bulman
12.30pm
24th April 2015
Jilkminggan
10.00am
28th April 2015
Mataranka
5.00pm
28th April 2015
Page 10
Community Round-up
The Borroloola MUNs Team working hard
In the heart of the Savannah Way the Borroloola MUNS
crew have serviced the town for many years.
A number of the fellas have worked with Roper Gulf and
the old Borroloola Council for over 10 years with one
Jerry close to 20 years.
The MUNS crew has Albie as the supervisor, Robbie
and Jerry on the garbage truck while Rodwell and Dawn
work hard as masters of all trades including but not
limited to feeding impounded dogs at the pound.
Council would like to welcome Rodwell and Dawn as
the newest workers with the crew. The crew is small,
but they work hard to try and get everything done in
Borroloola.
It would be nice to have some more guys and gals on
the crew…this crew works hard. It’s a pleasure to work
with them.
Submitted by Nathan McIvor: Council Services Manager
Borroloola
Ngukurr Housing Maintenance welcomes Matthew Pope to the team
Ngukurr have just employed
another Housing Maintenance
Officer; Matthew Pope. Matthew will assist the current
team with carrying out he
huge workload.
The Ngukurr Housing Maintenance Team is averaging 100
jobs or more every month
which includes jobs from NT
Housing, RGRC Assets and
other Stakeholders..
Council Services Manager at
Ngukurr, Paul Amarant congratulated the team on ‘doing
an excellent job keeping the
community people happy and
satisfied’.
Page 11
Manyallaluk and Maranboy Police, a model of successful cooperation
The committee, chaired by
Maranboy
Police
R/SGT
Charles Drury and S/C Jamie
Lauder and comprising senior
community elders Alison Andrews, Daisy-Bell Williri, Andrew Hood and Samuel Rankin (to name a few) and community
residents
worked
through the issues and
agreed on a range of
measures to fix the problems.
What do poisoned water supplies, rogue buffalo and antisocial behaviour have in common?
The answer is they have all
affected community safety in
the remote community of
Manyallaluk, population 70
located 35km north of Maranboy.
Maranboy Police have been
actively supporting the local
Community Safety Committee
(CSC) and the results have
been impressive. The community identified in its Community Safety Action Plan (CSAP)
the issues of alcohol fuelled
anti-social behaviour, the
threat posed to residents,
particularly children, by rogue
buffalo wandering through the
community day and night and
the concern that poisoning of
the communities water supply
by toxic and invasive neem
trees could occur.
bers were experiencing the
benefits of peace and quiet at
night, children getting to
school after a good sleep and
less noise and disruption to
their lives.
Whilst many of us working in
urban centres don’t consider
wandering buffalo, cheeky
crocodiles, poisoned bores
and the myriad of other very
real community safety issues
Local police, working with that exist throughout NT, bush
their colleagues in Katherine coppers face these issues
and Mataranka, adopted a every day.
number of strategies that significantly slowed the flow of Manyallaluk is a success story
due to the efforts of the comalcohol into Manyallaluk.
munity in taking ownership of
The community, working with and responsibility for solving
indigenous Jawowyn Rangers their own problems.
and Roper Gulf Shire Council,
trapped, removed and sold The relationship between the
the rogue buffalo; and the local residents and police is
neem trees have now been very positive and they are
actively seeking more involvelargely removed.
ment with Police in the delivAt the most recent CSC on ery of more crime prevention
the 27th January 2015 many and cyber-safety education.
community elders and residents expressed their happi- Reprinted from the 6th Februness at the outcomes and ary 2015 eDrum, The NT Postated that their children were lice, Fire and Emergency Sersafer and all community mem- vices online magazine.
Page 12
In Community Grants News
Lunch time has become safer
and more comfortable for the
little ones at Mataranka
School which now has three
strong, safe, age appropriate
tables and bench seats for the
preschool/transition
and
younger pupils to be able to
comfortably eat their lunches
at. No more dangling legs or
splinters, no more sitting on
the hot ground. The photo
shows they are obviously a
winner with the kids.
The tables and bench seating
were purchased through a
$3000 Community Grant from
the Roper Gulf Regional
Council.
Aged Care woman clean up at Numbulwar.
This year’s Clean up Australia Day bought
about 30 people out to do a clean up across
Numbulwar, a small town located on the Gulf
of Carpentaria.
Numbulwar was on the edge of Cyclone Lam
but managed to escape with little more than a
bit of wind and some flooding. The annual
Clean up event brightened the town up and
strengthened a growing pride in the town.
One of the teams of volunteers who cleaned
around the town and airport was a team of
staff from the Numbulwar Aged Care. The
Aged Care team was recognized for the effort
they put in by winning the encouragement
prize of $100 provided by the NewTown General Store.
Aged Care Coordinator Kim Freeman praised
her team,
“They were champions and it was very hot.
We picked up a fair whack of rubbish and the
town looked so much better after the cleanup.
Everybody involved in our Clean Up Australia
did a great job.”
Well done Jackie, Faith, Ella, Riley and Kim.
Everyone enjoyed a BBQ after the clean up
and the feeling of a good job done.
Page 13
New approach to managing emergencies tested at Beswick.
The small town of Beswick,
located 100 kilometres east
Katherine, was impacted by
minor flooding when the tropical low associated with the
weakened ex Tropical Cyclone Lan hit in mid February.
There was initially serious
concern about flooding potential but the expected heavy
rain in the catchment did not
occur and Beswick was only
affected for a couple of days.
The Waterhouse River flooded over the bridge to a depth
of 2.27 metres closing the
Central Arnhem Highway but
no property was damaged.
As a precaution six aged community members and about
seven families moved up to
the school.
The flooding gave Police and
Emergency Services and
Council officers an opportunity
to manage the developing
emergency on the ground at
Beswick rather than from
away from the town.
Having the Police and Emergency Services personnel in
the town was something new
for the small town which has
got used to dealing with flooding emergency alone. The
relatively slow arrival of the
storm front meant the emergency services were able to
station two Police and two
emergency Services Officers
in the small town.
“Police and Emergency Services gave us all a sense of
safety knowing they were in
control and not on the other
side of the river”, Council Services Manager at Beswick
Helen Hawkins said. “They
kept me informed of any
changes and the community
was clearly more comfortable
and settled knowing they were
here”.
Helen said the community
was relieved to have them
there,
….” It was great that they
were monitoring the river lev-
els day and night and as the
lead agency they were able to
organise the evacuation to the
school. Previously support
and direction had come to us
from the other side of the river.
The Waterhouse River floods
regularly and the older part of
Beswick is built on a flood
plain so our residents are
pretty use to flooding but it is
still upsetting and unsettling
for many people, so having
the Police and Emergency
Services here was very welcome. Hopefully the same
process will be included permanently in the Emergency
Management plan for future
events in Beswick”.
Ms Hawkins thanked the Police and Emergency services
for the in support during the
Great seats available at the Borroloola Rodeo
A Community Grant from Roper Gulf Regional Council has also
enabled the Borroloola Amateur Race Club to put comfortable
bench seating at the rodeo ground. The seating has been located in the shade of the big old fig Tree away from dust and
noise, a great place for a breather away from the excitement of
the arena.
The next Borroloola Rodeo is scheduled for August, so put this
must see event in your diary!
Page 14
Beswick women are doing it for themselves.
Photos sourced from ABC
In last edition of the newsletter
we told the story of the successful RJCP Driver training
program and how important it is
in our small towns. We can
now tell you about achievements two of our Community
Service workers, Revonna Urban and Kaffie Rickson who
have been taking lessons with
RJCP Driving Instructor Ole
Andersen.
Beswick will have two more
drivers to help deliver their important services for children,
families and the elderly.
The two learners have commented how supportive Ole
has been, how much they have
enjoyed their lessons and how
much they have learnt.
Congratulations Kaffie and all
the best with your test Revonna.
Kaffie passed her driving test at
the end February and Revonna
will be doing her test very soon.
Not only will these women gain
more independence by being
able to drive it will also mean
that Community Services in
The RJCP Driving program
offers a rare opportunity for
people in remote communities
to get professional driving instruction. With a driving licence
people increase their opportunity of finding work.
The Borella Ride passed through the Never Never
In 1915, Albert Borella journeyed through 1,000 kilometres
of NT’s outback from Tennant
Creek to Darwin to enlist in
World War I. He fought at Gallipoli and the Western Front;
was wounded, commissioned
on the battlefield, and awarded
the Victoria Cross, the highest
honour for valour in combat. A
re-enactment celebrating the
journey one hundred years ago
has been undertaken by relatives of Albert Borella and others to celebrate the story of his
journey to join the AIF at the
start of World War I.
The commemoration journey
travelling party visited Daly
Waters, Larrimah and Mataranka; all within the Roper Gulf
Council Region.
At each stop local residents
and visitors were able to meet
with the riders, horses and support team and find out more
about the ride and the Borella’s
amazing story.
Many children from local school
came along and were informed
about Albert Borella’s life and
times through activities and
talks which bought to life the
harsh times in the context of
the Great War.
A community evening was held
at Mataranka in which young
and old were able to meet the
riders and horses, play games
and enjoy a BBQ.
The other real heroes of the
ride must be the horses,
“Walers”, descendants of the
breed that provided the mounts
of the Australian Light horse.
These well trained horses and
their handlers from the reenactment ride were a popular
part of the visits.
The Borella Ride is the Northern Territory Government’s
flagship Anzac Centenary activity, supported by the Australian
Government.
Page 15
Ngukurr RJCP Team working hard
Ngukurr RJCP has
been very busy over
the past few months
completing projects all
around
the
community, bringing
health and safety and
some fun places for
kids to occupy their
afternoons
and
weekends, So far a
park play set and the
building of a chemical
shed for the local pool
to protect children
from
the
caustic
chemicals have been
completed.
Ngukurr RJCP has a
total of 8 team at
present comprising of
15 participants and
one supervisor with
another 4 teams to be
filled,
completing
other civil projects like
cemetery restoration,
lawns
and
maintenance, Shade
and shelter for Park
benches and BBQ
areas, market garden
and youth activities to
name a few. All work
is completed by local
men and women of
Ngukurr
supporting
the
growth
and
development of their
home
lands,
the
RGRC RJCP has
been received very
well by the local
population and looks
set to accomplish
great work.
Submitted by Aaron
Carroll,
Senior
Employment
and
Training Coordinator
(RJCP
Ngukurr/
Numbulwar Region)
Pool chemical shed at Ngukurr pool, completed by
RJCP.
Here is the park play equipment completed in
December 2014 (needs weeding)
Community Vet Visits - Does your pet need a check-up?
A vet will be visiting:
Beswick: Monday 2nd March - Thursday
5th March 2015
Ngukurr and Urapunga: Monday 16th
March - Friday 20th March 2015
Barunga: Monday 30th March - Wednesday
1st April 2015
Borroloola: Monday 13th April - Monday
20th April 2015
Numbulwar: Monday 27th April - Friday 1st
May 2015
Bulman and Weemol: Monday 18th May Thursday 21st May 2015
Page 16
Upcoming Meetings of Council and Local Authorities
Date
Time
Meeting
Location
09 Mar 2014
5.30pm
Mataranka Local Authority Meeting
Lot 6282 Stuart Highway
05 Mar 2015
10.00am
Borroloola Local Authority Meeting
Borroloola Council Office
11 Mar 2015
10.30am
Ngukurr Local Authority Meeting
Ngukurr Council Office
12 Mar 2015
2.00pm
Hodgson Downs Local Authority Mtg Alawa Board Room
16 Mar 2015
10.00am
Beswick Local Authority Meeting
Beswick Council Office
16 Mar 2015
2.00pm
Manyallaluk Local Authority Meeting
Manyallaluk Council Office
17 Mar 2015
10.00am
Barunga Local Authority Meeting
Barunga Council Office
18 Mar 2015
2.00pm
Bulman Local Authority Meeting
Bulman Council Office
19 Mar 2015
10.00am
Numbulwar Local Authority Meeting
Numbulwar Council Office
All Local Authority and Ordinary Meetings of Council are open to the Public to attend.
Please Note: Local Authority Meetings are subject to change
Job Opportunities
For current jobs go to www.ropergulf.nt.gov.au or email [email protected]
Contact Us
RGRC Mayor
Tony Jack
Phone: 0428 793 132
Email: [email protected]
Chief Executive Officer
Michael Berto
Phone: 0427 799 621
Email: [email protected]
RGRC Deputy Mayor
Judy MacFarlane
Phone: 0437 918 115
Em: [email protected]
Roper Gulf Regional Council Reception
Phone: (08) 8972 9000
Fax: (08) 8971 2607
Email: [email protected]
Do you have a story to tell or a photograph to share?
Roper Gulf Regional Council would like to showcase your stories and photographs from
our Region. Residents and RGRC staff are invited to submit their articles and original
photos to be considered for an upcoming edition of the RGRC Newsletter, RGRC Facebook Page and/or RGRC Website. Please submit your material to
[email protected] or 08 8972 9000