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Cape York Aboriginal leaders welcome new family centre by Hayley Campbell
W
arren Kulka and Ron Harrigan, the Aboriginal leaders from Cooktown, attended a sod turning ceremony to welcome the start of construction for the new Cape York Family Centre yesterday. They were celebrating the start of construction of a unique Commonwealthfunded centre for helping troubled Aboriginal families of Cape York and for training a future generation of Indigenous family therapists. At a small, yet moving, celebration on the site of the centre 30km from Cooktown they warmly greeted representatives from Blue Care Indigenous Services, the funder – the Department of Health and Ageing – and the builder, Hutchinson Builders. Traditional Owners passed a shovel to representatives from Blue Care for the official ‘turning of the sod’ which marked the start of construction. Blue Care Executive Director Robyn Batten said: “Together with each of you, we aspire to become part of a united and driving force in restoring Cape York families and Aboriginal people to their rightful place in Australian Society.” The centre’s purpose
Paul Gibson (Traditional Owner), Dylan Harrigan (Traditional Owner), Blue Care Executive Director Robyn Batten, Warren Kulka (Chairperson, Gungarde Aboriginal Cooperative, Cooktown) and Cape York Family Centre Blue Care Service Manager Associate Professor John Pead. Image supplied
is to provide family care to Aboriginal families at high risk of breakdown through alcohol and drug use and related mental and physical health problems. The centre’s location is a wilderness lodge 30km north-west of Cooktown, on a large natural rural property in a picturesque setting, comprising 10
self-contained family homes. Families will include infants, children, young people and adults who intend living together and caring for each other in the future. They will complete up to 3-6 months intensive family care as residents and then return to their original Cape York,
or other Australian communities, with continuing support by the service for 12-18 months to ensure a stable and safe family, secure housing and a pathway to economic independence. Construction of the centre will be completed over the next 12 months with the first families coming in 2014. Page 1