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.
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.
In
its first five years, IEP has provided assistance to over 120 projects
or businesses, mainly brokered through Balkanu, Cape York Partnerships
and more recently Cape York Institute.
A selection of recent case
studies reflect IEPs contribution to successes in indigenous
economic and community development:
In Mossman
Gorge on Cape York, working with Balkanu,
Westpac and Boston Consulting Group have made significant contributions
to the planned development of a world class tourist centre.
Across eight communities
on Cape York, working with Cape
York Partnerships, Westpac has lent financial and management
skills to support the deployment of Family
Income Management, bringing hands on support for indigenous
families wishing to better manage their money.
Since the inception of Education
Reform in the Coen pilot site, working with Cape
York Partnerships, IEP Partners have helped establish a program
that takes a 'no excuses' approach to better education for ndigenous
kids.
Working with local indigenous
entrepreneurs in remote Aurukun to support their efforts to
build economic activity based on tourism and mining.
Further examples of how IEP has
contributed to the jigsaw:
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
