SPEECH BY NSWALC CHAIRPERSON BEV MANTON
AHO - ABORIGINAL STAFF MENTORING PROGRAM 08/09 GRADUTATION

19 MARCH 2009, SYDNEY TRAVEL LODGE, SYDNEY

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As is our custom, first let me acknowledge the Cadigal,  Guringai, Dharruk and Eora peoples.  They are the peoples of the Sydney basin upon whose land we gather today.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak and present certificates at today's graduation ceremony.

I welcome it.

After all it is a good news occasion.

A positive.

A real plus for Aboriginal people who work for Housing New South Wales.  A real plus for Housing NSW itself.

I wish there could be more of them.

Unfortunately that isn't the case.

Today is an occasion where we can all be upbeat and positive.

Let me congratulate Housing New South Wales for both initiating and persevering with your mentoring program.

I know they are not always easy to manage.   I know they can present some considerable difficulties.

They also, of course, offer rewards, tangible rewards for both the mentors, the mentorees - and any organisation that  takes the initiative to run with such programs. 

It is certainly in line with your corporate goal, which states:

"Helping to build a stronger  community by providing housing solutions for People in need".

In one sense it is not unlike NSWALC's own goal, although our goal is a little wider as it is, in short, to empower Aboriginal people in New South Wales through economic and social independence.

Quite frankly an enormous task.

But in the 25 years since Land Rights was introduced in this State we have taken enormous strides towards this goal.

But we still have a long way to go.

But 25 years ago we had nothing - no land, no economic base, no power.

Aboriginal people existed on the margins.  Unfortunately,  all too often this is still the case.

But land rights has seen overt 80,000 hectares of land returned to Aboriginal people - although this is still less than one percent of the total land area of New South Wales.

But if the Government ever gets round to removing the massive log jam of Aboriginal Land claims - there are over still 10 000 still be determined - this percentage will, of course, increase.

The ownership of land is of fundamental importance to Aboriginal people. 

It is a logical extension of caring for country, something that Aboriginal people have been doing since time immemorial.

It is part of our culture.

To us land sustains us, feeds us spiritually as well as emotionally.

We in NSWALC face many challenges.

One of them - to highlight but one area so fundamental to your own responsibilities - is the ownership of houses.

Over 2,600 of them.  They are home for nearly 13,000 of our people.

The ownership of these houses under freehold title provides a major asset for many of our 121 land councils.

That responsibility also presents considerable difficulties.

I know this audience understands the issues our land council have to deal with.  They are issues you, too, have to deal with on a regular basis.

After all, thousands of Aboriginal people live in houses that are under your care and guardianship.

We know you take that role seriously.

It is a role that is appreciated - even if one often much criticized by Aboriginal people. 

Your senior managers who made a presentation on social housing at NSWALC's State Conference only last week can tell you all about that.

But we all, on occasions, cop criticism.  Sometimes more than our fair share of it.

NSWALC isn't immune, I might tell you.

But back to your mentoring scheme. 

Clearly,one of the thing that was done by management was to listen to  issues raised by Aboriginal staff way back in 2002, issues that seem to have played a fundamental part in providing the basis for what is today your comprehensive Aboriginal mentoring scheme.

I hope this scheme will continue to play a major role in the affairs of your organization - one that has also nearly doubled its employment of Aboriginal people over the last four years.

That's commendable.

It is an outcome I wish all New South Wales State Government organizations would emulate.

I must say I am greatly encouraged by what you want to achieve as a result of running your mentoring program.

Clearly it is all about staff satisfaction and staff retention.

It appeals to me in relation to Aboriginal staff retention rates and the improvement of our land council Aboriginal staff skill base

We don't have a mentoring program - but NSWALC has taken steps to improve our Aboriginal land council staff skill base.

We have allocated $30 million dollars of our own funds to establish an Educational Endowment Fund and under revised guidelines a major plank of expenditure under this initiative is to encourage Aboriginal staff working within our land council network to improve their skill base.

We believe sincerely that this initiative is a wise one.

It is a step that will keep our network both strong and on the front foot.

Now I think it's time I stopped talking and presented the certificates.

But in closing let me congratulate both the mentors for their commitment and the mentorees who have successfully completed the program and are graduating today.

Hopefully you will think of today as a significant step in both your career and your life.

To you all - keep on achieving.

Thank you.