Laramba News

The Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) 2020-21 annual report has been sent to the Minister for Local Government, Chansey Paech MLA, and is now up on the CDRC website. The annual report shows the progress CDRC has made against the Strategic Plan throughout the financial year and the CDRC annual financial statements. It also includes achievements and stories of the CDRC communities.

You can read the annual report here: 2020-2021 Annual Report

Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) Community Development Program (CDP) surveyed clients to get input from job seekers and the community on what they thought of the quality of services provided by the CDP program and to gain insight on areas respondents wanted to see improvement in. 74 respondents were surveyed across the communities of Ti Tree, Willowra, Laramba, Yuelamu and Yuendumu at the CDP Careers Expo at the beginning of the financial year.

Community clean-ups was rated the number one activity by 24.8% of respondents, gardening was rated second (21.3%), arts and crafts third (19.65%), furniture making fourth (17.9%) and health and nutrition fifth (16.4%). The top two suggested areas of improvement were: increased training (55% of respondents) and activities (19%).

Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) has been recognised as a Winner for Employer of Choice in The Australian Business Awards 2021. The Australian Business Awards for Employer of Choice recognises organisations that develop leading workplaces that maximise the full potential of their workforce through established policies and practices that demonstrate effective employee recruitment, engagement and retention.

CDRC is a Local Government entity that operates in the Northern Territory, to the north of Alice Springs, with boundaries that go from the Queensland Border to the WA border covering a land area of 282,064km2. The municipal area is home to approximately 4,200 people and spread over eleven Indigenous communities and one town. Council’s workforce of around 240 staff, over 69% of whom are Indigenous, is spread over those twelve locations and also in the Alice Springs based headquarters. The area is home to the most disadvantaged people in the Northern Territory, and CDRC’s core mission is to build sustainable communities through service delivery, advocacy, and community engagement.

The Work Health and Safety (WHS) October Safe Work Month film competition was hotly contested this year, with the dominant themes around vehicles and personal protective equipment (PPE).

At the September Council meeting the Councillors watched all the movies and deliberated over the outcome and there was a dead heat between two movies. Luckily, the Hon. Chansey Paech was in attendance for the swearing in of the new Councillors and was asked to choose the winner.

The winner as chosen by the Council and the Minister were the Community Development Program (CDP) team for their film, ‘Think Safe and Drive Safe’. Congratulations to the CDP team.

Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) welcomes the newly elected Councillors to the fourth CDRC Council, who were sworn in on 30 September in Alice Springs, with Chansey Paech MLA in attendance.

Cr Adrian Dixon was elected President once again by the Council, with Cr Warren Williams returning to the role of Deputy President.

Adrian Dixon, Warren Williams, James Glenn, William Liddle, April Martin, Jacob Spencer and Freddy Williams all return to the Council, with Adrian Dixon and James Glenn having served on Council since its beginning in 2008.

Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) Youth, Sport and Recreation (YSR) staff attended a three day training week to complete various courses and planning sessions from 21 – 23 September. There was a total of twenty participants including staff from Laramba, Yuelamu, Atitjere, Pmara Jutunta, Nturiya, Wilora, Engawala and Alice Springs.

Over the three days the group completed an internal planning session to discuss what is working in the program and what requires further improvement. Strategies discussed will be implemented by staff across CDRC sites to further enhance the program.

The 2021 Local Government Elections for the Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) were held in August and the results are now out.

Northern Tanami

There were only two nominations for two positions, so no election necessary. These were Andrew Johnson and Cyril Tasman.

Southern Tanami

There were four nominations for four positions, all by returning councillors. These are Warren Williams, April Martin, Fred Williams and Jacob Spencer.

Anmatjere

The Laramba Local Authority (LA) proposed to plant some indigenous trees along the main road into the community, from the Childcare to the turn off at the school. The approved sacred site clearance is for trees on both sides of the road however the other side next to the oval has a power line, so there are plans to get shade trees that will not grow tall so as not to disturb the overhead line.

A contractor planted 17 trees with tree guards a few weeks ago and the Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) Community Development Program (CDP) was tasked with the tree maintenance and management.  On 31 August Francis Madonko, Program Manager CDP Activities, visited Laramba to see how best they could manage the tree maintenance.

“I realised the contractor didn’t put basins around the trees, which is very important to allow water to collect so it can sink deep to encourage good root development and give the tree good anchoring,” he said.

Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) recently competed at the AAI Central Australia Softball Tournament held in Tennant Creek. CDRC were represented by 30 female players from Anmatjere, Laramba and Engawala.

The three teams were supported by CDRC Youth and Community Safety Patrol Team Leaders, who all met in Ti Tree on Friday. The teams had a quick lunch together then drove three hours up the Stuart Highway to Tennant Creek.

Good luck to the 30 softball players from Engawala, Laramba and Ti Tree who are travelling to Tennant Creek this week to represent Central Desert Regional Council at the AAI Central Australia Softball Tournament. Players will hit the field on Friday night and all day Saturday. Check our Facebook or website for the results next week!

Photo: Annalisa Dixon from Laramba waiting to bat.