www.firstnationstelegraph.com
A decade of success for Murdi Paaki
MPREC CEO Janelle Whitehead (left) and Chair William Bates (right) outside the Dubbo Head Office. Image supplied
by Georgie Hinrichsen 16 October 2013
O
ne of Australia’s leading Indigenous service providers, Murdi Paaki Regional Enterprise Corporation Limited, or ‘MPREC’ as it is better known, celebrates its 10th birthday this October. The Corporation, which commenced operations in 2003 after the abolition of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), has emerged to become a lead agency within
its sphere of influence across the nation. From humble beginnings , with meagre resources, and one could say a somewhat necessarily chaotic approach, the then newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Janelle Whitehead systematically developed – an nurtured – the organisation to steer it along a pathway of continual growth, achieving its goal- to deliver best practice, relevant services to Indigenous communities in Far West NSW – the Murdi Paaki Region.
‘At the start, I literally operated the business from the boot of my car’, explains Janelle Whitehead. ‘Then we developed from a ‘one man band’ into a staff of 2, then 3; we found a home in a little office, ‘Kookaburra Cellars’ in Coonamble (where we quickly ran out of space), then moved into a building adjacent to the Coonamble Post Office before our final Coonamble ‘home’ – the (previous) Coonamble Shire RTA Building’. It was however, predictable in hindsight that this new, innovative and effective organisation would Page 1
www.firstnationstelegraph.com
become a victim of its own success. Government agencies beat a path to MPREC’s door with contracts to deliver their services; staff numbers continued to increase to keep up with the burgeoning demand. MPREC moved away from its town of origin in 2006 and ultimately to its present headquarters in Dubbo, primarily driven by the need to increase the ability of the many government departments located there to have regular, easy access. ‘We deliver many communitybased programs directly, while we auspice several more’, says Ms Whitehead. ‘We were recently appointed the contract to deliver the Federal Government’s flagship program, Regional Jobs and Communities (RJCP) in the two NSW locations – Far West and Upper Darling – Wilcannia and Bourke regions’. This 5 year program is focussed on community empowerment and capacity development, and is a whole of community approach. While in its infancy and not without challenge, RJCP has the potential to bring lasting, relevant and effective benefits to everyone in the 2 regions’. Another thrust, critical to communities, says Ms Whitehead, is a focus on youth. ‘We have, until recently, actively operated youth programs and youth centres in 5 communities. The response – not only from the high numbers of attendees – but from all sectors of the communities, has been overwhelming. In fact, this program alone can be attributed to a reduction in truancy, providing a safe place and generally contributing to community’s most important asset – their youth’. A great success story revolves around a join DEEWR / FaHCSIA funded initiative that was launched
Page 2
6 years ago by MPREC – the ‘Murdi Paaki Young Aboriginal Leadership Program’ – MPAYLP. In essence, young recruits are brought into the program from every community across the region, where they are engaged in community affairs and are mentored to develop confidence and leadership skills, representing Aboriginal youth. Outcomes include ex-participants working in professional fields such as law and medicine or gaining career positions in vocations of their choice. In turn participants become ‘beacons of success’ in their communities, engendering hope, ambition and aspiration among eager in-coming MPAYLP participants. Janelle Whitehead is emphatic when she confidently says that this program has made a tremendous difference. What are the primary keys to MPREC’s rise and rise? • CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING: MPREC is a designated Indigenous organisation, with an Indigenous Board of Directors representing Far West communities. Threequarters of its employees and staff are Aboriginal. • COMMUNITY LINKAGE listening to individuals, organisations and communities and working with them to develop their capacity. • BENEFICIAL CHANGE: focussing on intergenerational change, particularly assisting Indigenous youth, those with barriers, and members of communities who are confronting serious adverse social issues. • BEING THERE: being on
the ground – a front-line presence. Seeing what works – and what does not. • EFFECTIVENESS: Best Practice, strong governance, rigid compliance in everything we do. ‘While we have achieved a great deal, our work is far from done’, says Janelle Whitehead. ‘Breaking the cycle of despair, poverty and hopelessness, removing reliance on government hand-outs and building better lives for upcoming generations are the priorities. We hopefully lead by example and influence government approach which, in the past, has been frankly, more of the same’. Today, MPREC employs more than 70 staff and has a permanent presence in most Far West communities. The organisation has several arms – or divisions – that allow it to meet the ever increasing demand. These include a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) – Australian Integrated Training; a Job Services Provider – Australian Inland Employment Services; Murdi Paaki Building – a Licensed Building and Construction Company, a Business Unit that focusses on enterprise development within Indigenous communities and Finance Unit with services spanning the entire MPREC operation, assuring rigid compliance. Janelle Whitehead sums up the past 10 years: ‘While we, as a team, have achieved so much, come so far, and have been rewarded by significant beneficial changes in communities, our work has only really just begun’. Based on MPREC’s journey over the past decade, the future and2023 in particular promises to be interesting times indeed.