HOPE IN PALM’S OWN HANDS
AN ambitious funding arrangement to kickstart Palm Island’s economy is getting under way, with the indigenous community eager to bridge the growing divide between residents and the mainland.
Vocal indigenous activist Warren Mundine will take to the streets of Palm Island next week to encourage locals to get to work.
A national project worth $ 146.9 million aims to deliver innovative and effective support for indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs.
Mr Mundine, who is also the former chairman of the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council, said the key to Closing the Gap was economic development.
“There’s no race of people in his- tory that’s lifted itself out of poverty without economic growth,” he said.
“If we can get this done within seven years, we would have built the foundations for an incredible indigenous commercial economic process.”
Palm Island has struggled with a distressing cycle of poor health and high unemployment for decades.
The Bulletin reported earlier this year on dire indigenous health issues that were claiming residents younger than anywhere else in the state.
Mr Mundine said if people were working, kids were going to school.
“They’re getting educated,” he said. “The other thing is people’s health. People who have jobs have fewer health issues.
“To me, a job is a result of some sort of business that’s come from economic stimulus. We’re taking an idea from the mining industry – they do a lot of contract and employment for indigenous people.”
Palm Island Mayor Alf Lacey said he had always been of the opinion that governments could not keep funding “welfare, after welfare, after welfare”.
“We need Palm Island to crawl out of the social dismay that we’re seeing at the moment,” he said.
“You have to grab that money and turn it to better use ... it’s about Closing the Gap.
“When you give someone an opportunity, their lifestyle will change.
“When holding a job, it’s an important aspect as much as education is for the kids.
“A lot of Palm people and Palm families have good ideas.
“Giving some kick start to the local economy on Palm, certainly the people will fully participate to find good opportunities.”
Mr Mundine said the entrepreneurial initiative, a legacy of former prime minister Tony Abbott, had not rolled out anywhere in the state yet. “It’s a hands- on approach,” he said. “So on Palm we want to work with the local council because they’ve been doing some great things in the last few years. We’re going across Northern Australia and into Arnhem Land and the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands, creating new enterprises as well as getting ideas like bush tucker and bush medicine.
“We will be introducing them to the investors and the backers who can get them on the global stage.
“I was in New York recently and said to a group of people that there was an island off the coast of Townsville, North Queensland, and you could see their eyes light up.”
Mr Mundine said for the initiative to work on Palm Island, new infrastructure was not necessary.
“We want to do the simple things first, looking around, seeing the opportunity and grabbing some people to do it,” he said.
“( We would) put some funds into it to get it off the ground.
“Then get people to help them to make sure they put money aside for their BAS and GST.”