This year we celebrate NAIDOC Week

by remembering the bark petitions

sent to the Australian Parliament by

13 leaders of the Yolngu region 50

years ago.

The Yirrkala people of north-east Arn-

hem Land were concerned that part of

their land was being taken away for

bauxite mining. They claimed that

mining would threaten the 500 people

who lived, hunted and gathered on this

land, and their ability to protect and

access sacred sites.

The bark petitions represent the two

moieties (skin groups) of the Yirrkala

people, the Dhawu seen on the left and

the Yirritja people on the right, and

show key aspects of Yolngu culture and

customary law.

These petitions were the first time

anyone combined bark paintings and

text typed on paper. Although not

immediately successful, they contrib-

uted to a process which saw Aboriginal

people win land rights in the Northern

Territory in 1976.

Another outstanding example of the

strength, creativity and resilience of

our many Indigenous peoples!

The Australian Electoral Com-

mission is encouraging people

to enrol to vote, ahead of a

planned Federal Election later

this year. You can pick up an

enrolment form at Australia

Post, Centrelink or Medicare

offices.

People who have previously

enrolled to vote and are on

Centrelink benefits may not

be aware their address on

the electoral roll will be

automatically updated by

Centrelink.

This means that you must

cast a vote for the elec-

torate where

you now live

or face a fine!

We can help

people fill out

forms.

Make Sure You Vote

NAIDOC Week: “We Value the Vision”

10 July 2013

Issue 4

Your Neighbourhood

Inside this issue:

Recipe:

Curried Sausages

2

Your Savings Can

Make a Difference

2

Child Protection Com-

mission of Inquiry

2

Neighbourhood News 3

New Homelessness to

Housing Strategy

3

Daycare Good for

Kids with Depressed

Mums

3

Meet the Staff:

Cathy Tanzer

4

Tax Time Again! 4

Mount Isa Family Support

Service & Neighbourhood

Centre Inc.

Reminders:

Low income earners can get

a loan up to $1,200 with no

interest and no fees.

Our shower, kitchen and

washing machine are availa-

ble during office hours for

use by homeless people.

Playgroup is on every

Wednesday morning from

9.30 to 11.30.

Above: Not just “decorated texts” - these are claims

to being the original owners of the land.

Ingredients:

1/2 kg sausages

1 large onion, sliced

1 tbs curry powder

1 apple, peeled and sliced

1 tbs cooking oil

Any other chopped vegetables such

as carrots, capsicum, celery, pota-

toes etc

Corn-flour to thicken

Rice to serve

Method:

1. Boil water in a saucepan, prick

the skins of the sausages and

2. add to water until cooked.

3. Drain off water, allow sausages

to cool and slice them into bite-

sized pieces.

4. Heat oil in saucepan, fry onion,

apple and veges until soft.

5. Add curry powder and stir to

release flavours.

6. Add sausages back to saucepan,

stir and cover with water.

7. Simmer slowly for 3/4 of an

hour or until veges are cooked.

8. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour

with a little water in a cup until

you have a smooth paste.

9. Lower heat and add to curry

mixture slowly while stirring.

10. Repeat process with corn-flour

until sauce is thickened enough.

11. Serve with boiled rice, and

green vegetables if desired.

This dish freezes well, and is also

great for lunch on a piece of toast.

overreacts to hostile media and

community scrutiny.

3. A tendency for all of society to

shift responsibility onto Child

Safety.

The report, which runs to more than

700 pages, points to an investment in

“prevention rather than cure” which it

is hoped will result in a 25% reduction

After 12 months, the Commission

has found that there are three main

causes of the failure of the system

of Child Protection:

1. Too little money spent on early

intervention to support families.

2. A risk-averse culture that focus-

es too heavily on coercive rather

than supportive strategies and

of children in the statutory system

within the next 10 years. It notes

that in 2011-2012 only 11.6% of total

Child Safety spending went towards

preventive/supportive interventions.

With added support for families

before they reach crisis point, it is

hoped that fewer children will expe-

rience unnecessary harm.

www,childprotectioninquiry.qld.gov.au

Page 2 Your Neighbourhood

Recipe: Curried Sausages

nesses and may be able to influence

how they treat our environment and

other people.

A growing number of people are con-

sidering how their banks and super

funds are performing in the area of

socially responsible or ethical invest-

ment.

Some of the things you might want to

look into, for example, are whether

your money could be used to:

Pollute land, air or water

Exploit or endanger workers

Inflict cruelty on animals

Profit from war by selling arms

Create items which are harmful,

such as cigarettes or alcohol

Discriminate against minorities

Is it time to ask your bank or super

fund where

your money is

going, and

what it’s doing

to make things

better in our

world?

Many of us don’t think of ourselves

as investors, but if you have money

in the bank or in superannuation,

then you also are lending to busi-

Your Savings Can Make a Difference

Are you

investing in a

better

future for

our world?

Child Protection Commission of Inquiry

Our funding from 2014 through to

the end of 2016 has been approved

by the Minister for Communities,

Disability Services and Child Safety,

the Hon Tracy Davis MP. A big

thank-you goes out to John Patullo

and Nikki Row for their unwavering

support, as well as our wonderful

Committee and Members.

We have also heard that the new

Neighbourhood Centre building will

go ahead but reduced in size by 30%

from the original plan. We see this

as an opportunity to increase the

size of the community garden, and

have submitted a funding application

which will hopefully see the new Cen-

tre surrounded by a green “edible”

paradise!

We have also received news about

some additional funding:

A Caring For Our Community

grant of $3,840 was received for

purchase of two whiteboards and

four computers for Lifeskills

training.

$50,000 of additional funding

was announced by the National

Australia Bank for No Interest

Loan Scheme (NILS) capital

for the Mount Isa NILS. This

money will be targeted for

loans to people in remote com-

munities : Cloncurry, Boulia,

Karumba, Camooweal, Mornington

Island, Doomadgee, and Norman-

ton.

We were also pleased to have

Michelle Crawford and Kay Davis

from Good Shepherd Microfinance

(NILS) up from Melbourne to visit

us this week.

Give the not-for-profit sec-

tor a larger role

Use a “triage” intake system

to meet the needs of people

experiencing homelessness

Expand the Homelessness

Community Action Plans

Provide additional supported

accommodation .

In addition, there will measures

to reduce service duplication and

increase their effectiveness. The Minister for Housing and Public

Works, the Hon Tim Mander MP, has

launched a new strategy which commits

to cut homelessness

in half by the year

2020.

The announcement,

which was welcomed

by Qld Shelter,

promised to:

Integrate hous-

ing and homelessness

develop emotional problems and sepa-

ration anxiety before the age of five

years.

However for those children with de-

pressed mothers , attending daycare

resulted in a 79% reduction in emo-

tional problems compared to kids who

stayed at home with their mums. This

was particularly the case for group-

based childcare, where kids get to

mingle with others their age and have

A University of Quebec study has

looked at children born in 1997-1998

and tried to figure out

how children handle having

a mum who has depression.

Almost 1,800 children

were studied and 19% of

them had mothers with

symptoms of depression.

Normally these children

would be twice as likely to

professional carers.

The authors hope that studies like

this will encourage mothers to seek

support, and not feel guilty about

putting their children in daycare.

There is nothing wrong with asking

for help, and in this case it really

can do some good.!

For more info on this, contact Chris

on 4743 4506.

Issue 4

Daycare Good for Kids with Depressed Mums

Neighbourhood News

New Homelessness to Housing Strategy

Page 3

The Qld

Government

has

committed

to halve

homelessness

by 2020

14A Hilary Street

PO Box 48

Mount Isa Qld 4825

Mount Isa Family Support Service & Mount Isa Family Support Service & Neighbourhood Centre IncNeighbourhood Centre Inc

get to NILS conferences in places

like Cairns, Darwin and Melbourne.

She is pictured here with her hus-

band Tony, during their wedding in

NZ a couple of months ago.

Cathy is our very capable Admin

Officer and one of the strongest

advocates of the No Interest Loan

Scheme (or NILS).

You might have seen Cathy riding

around town on her

Harley, especially doing

charity work such as

the Harley Owners’

Group’s recent blanket

run. She also helps out

with their raffles at

the Overlander on a

Thursday night, helping

the HOGs to raise some

of the $15,000 that

they donate to local

groups each year.

When she’s not helping

clients out with their

loans, Cathy manages to

The Neighbourhood Centre is again

offering Tax Help for people on

low incomes.

If you earned less than $50,000

and were an employee who didn’t

earn income from shares, rental

property or a business, you may be

able to get free help in completing

your tax return.

Our helpers are trained by the

Australian Tax Office, and are

experienced in assisting seniors,

students, people from non-English

speaking backgrounds, people with

a disability, Aboriginal people and

Torres Strait Islander people.

To make a

time, come in

and see us or

phone us on

4743 4506.

Tel: 07 4743 4506

Fax: 07 4743 4760

E-mail: Manager@mifssnc.com.au

Meet the Staff: Cathy Tanzer

Find us on Facebook —

look for Neighbourhood

Centre Mount Isa!

Providing support for Providing support for everyone in our Community”everyone in our Community”

The Mount Isa Family Support Service and Neighbourhood

Centre Incorporated is a not-for-profit organisation that

has been operating for the benefit of our community since

1979. It is funded by the Department of Communities, Child

Safety and Disability Services.

The Centre’s vision is ‘to enhance mutual respect, provide for the sharing and growing of lives, and sow seeds of opportuni-ty that build a dynamic and vibrant community’.

Our aims include:

to support and promote the family in its traditional and

evolving form as a loving, caring unit in time of crisis and

need, and

to encourage and promote health, recreation and well-

being for individuals, families and the general community.

Funded by the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services

Tax Time Again!