General News
4 December, 2024
We need more locals working in their home community: director
A director of the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu Aboriginal Corporation wants more local people working for the state government.
Anthony Saltmere says he would like to see more Indigenous people trained to work in state government agencies, such as Queensland Health.
Speaking at the opening of the new Camooweal clinic, Mr Saltmere said several Camooweal-based indigenous men were employed, through contracts overseen by the Myuma Group, to assist with the groundbreaking and laying of concrete foundations at the clinic site.
The director of the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu Aboriginal Corporation said he hoped it was a sign of goodwill between the state government and the local Indigenous population to work together towards improving the community.
“The relationship building between the local Indigenous community and state government departments like Queensland Health – it has to start somewhere,” Mr Saltmere told North West Weekly.
“We have been involved in building this clinic – even just by having a few of us working on it – that way the state government or construction companies doing work for the government can come out here and employ more people to build new things or to maintain the current buildings we have.
“It’s a good way we can build community.
“This gives the opportunities for Indigenous locals to be part of the construction and to gain new skills or upskill and they also will spend the money they earn in our community.
“This has been a positive experience – the guys will be able to tell their children and grandchildren one day that they had a hand in building this clinic.”
Mr Saltmere used his opening address to announce the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu Aboriginal Corporation would donate $100,000 towards the training of more specialist dialysis nurses to service the Camooweal community.
Mr Saltmere said he knew of at least one Camooweal resident that travelled to Mount Isa multiple times each week for dialysis.
North West Hospital and Health Service chief executive Sean Birgan said the Camooweal clinic had been constructed with the capability to provide dialysis services in the future – with a dedicated room allocated for the service – but there was no budgeting or planning works yet underway to deliver the service.
“We have a building that has the capability to include dialysis services in the future,” he said.
“We will work in consultation with the community on this process.”