A pioneer of Aboriginal representation in local government has urged other indigenous people to consider standing for their local council.
Gunnedah shire councillor Gwen Griffen and fellow indigenous councillor Les Knox made the call at this week’s Local Government Aboriginal Network conference in Tweed Heads.
The two councillors told the two-day conference that Aboriginal voices on council was an important factor to improving social conditions for Aboriginal communities and their involvement in the broader community.
Cr Griffen, a veteran of 21 years in local government, said indigenous involvement in local government had grown significantly during the past two decades, both as elected members and employees.
‘But we want to encourage more indigenous people to go into local government, to have a voice in their communities and build upon the opportunities that might be available,’ she told around 150 conference delegates from throughout the state.
Most NSW local governments are preparing for council elections next month.
Cr Griffen was encouraged to entered local government in the 1990s, after she was a prominent advocate to address problems in the Gunnedah community.
She said she kept getting re-elected because of her ‘straight shooting’ approach to local government politics.
Cr Knox said Cr Griffen’s long career as a councillor inspired him to contest the Narrabri Shire Council elections eight years ago.
He was already prominent in his community, his achievements including organising an Aboriginal cricket team tour of the UK in 1988 to celebrate the 120th anniversary of a ground-breaking indigenous team who undertook a similar tour in 1868, the first Australian sporting team to compete overseas.
Cr Knox said local government was one of the most valuable platforms for Aboriginal people to foster change in services, business and infrastructure.
‘I tell people it is a chance for them to be one of the few people to be selected to be the boss of their town,’ he said.
NSW Local Government Aboriginal Network president, Cr Rob Towney, said increasing the number of indigenous councillors had the greatest potential for improvement at a local government level.
Cr Towney told the conference that while the Network was eager to encourage the creation of effective Aboriginal advisory groups in each local government area, ‘we want Aboriginal people to run for council and get elected because that will make the biggest difference’.
Indigenous people on local councils would be a wonderful step forward in social cohesion, environmental management, and generally looking after country and our communities in a more practical and sustainable way. And hopefully emulate more of the “straight talking” approach Cr Griffen mentions.