Indigenous Enterprise Partnerships

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Like most Indigenous regions throughout the country, Cape York is a geographical region in crisis
  • Median lifespan is 20 years less than non-Indigenous people.
  • Approximately 80% Indigenous unemployment.
  • High levels of alcohol-related crime, with unacceptable health, education and living conditions.
  • High levels of youth alienation – petrol sniffing, drugs and alcohol abuse, sexual abuse and crime.
Laying crab pots

Amongst these challenges, IEP and its Corporate Partners identified the following positive characteristics that stand out:

  • Articulate, influential and driven Aboriginal leadership in Noel and Gerhardt Pearson and Richard Ah Mat.
  • Communities and leadership looking for a new way of doing things.
  • Corporates and philanthropists looking for new and meaningful ways of engagement, beyond making financial donations.
  • A remote and well-defined location conducive to testing something radically different for all parties.
  • Regional Indigenous infrastructure (Balkanu, Cape York Partnerships, Cape York Institute) providing intermediaries and support for corporate partners and philanthropists.

Gordon

"Schools do not usually have access to the level of expertise that IEP delivers to support the programs we run at Djarragun. The expertise and funding their connections have brought have helped us provide quality programs for Indigenous youth; programs that are beyond what is usual in an educational context but which have made the difference between success and failure for our students. While it is always encouraging to receive accolades for what we are doing, there is nothing to beat the hands-on involvement that IEP has given to so many of our projects."

Jean Illingworth, Principal Djarragun College

Examples of How IEP Has Contributed in Cape York

Project

Activity Lead By

Assistance Facilitated By IEP

Community Controlled Health Care

Apunipima

Provided BCG resources to help outline the argument for, and approach to, community controlled health care

Business Hubs

Balkanu

Provided resource to develop the strategy and funding submission, with ongoing support from Westpac secondees

Cape York Digital Network (CYDN)

Balkanu

Provided resources to help articulate the original aims and to obtain seed funding

Traditional Knowledge Recording Project (TKRP)

Balkanu

Provided advice and resources to assist in capturing stories and history

Weipa Multi Purpose Facility

Balkanu and Cape York Partnerships

Provided resources to develop the feasibility study, business plan and submission to Comalco and government for funding

Boys From The Bush

Cape York Partnerships

Director-level support of the manager and business planning

Family Income Management (FIM)

Cape York Partnerships

Provided Westpac resources to develop the strategy and provide ongoing support to the local project staff

Welfare Reform Project

Cape York Institute

Provided secondees to support the articulation of the aims and approaches, and to garner government support for the idea

Alcohol Management Program

Cape York Partnerships

Provided BCG resource to help develop the strategy for presentation to government