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Positive new pathway opens for Aurukun community Supplied by Office of Member of Cook 18 November 2013
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positive new pathway for the people of Aurukun kick started in spectacular style last week as Mayor Dereck Walpo and his council introduced the first stage of the Whole of Community Change (WOCC) Program. More than 100 people were engaged as part of the three day workshop which saw council representatives, elders, community members, services providers and Government representatives gather to discuss strategies to improve quality of life for residents while building a strong, independent local economy. “It is time for us to move forward, cast off the negative image and take responsibility for our future,” Cr Walpo said. “That is what this program is all about.” Designed and delivered by Annalise Jennings from Dynamic Exchange, the WOCC Program is based on the principle that economic development and spiritual growth are co-dependent and positions ownership and accountability solely with the community. “Government and Service providers are there to enable, not implement and as such, there must be engagement and ownership from the people, not consultation and intervention by outsiders,” Ms Jennings said. “WOCC has evolved to become a hallmark for change and has been embraced by other Cape York communities,” she said. “It provides an opportunity for community members to leave
Aurukun participants in the Whoile of Community Change Program. Images supplied
a healthy legacy for future generations.” A key part of the program is the development of a community plan, which acts as a blueprint for the delivery of future programs, services and infrastructure by Government service providers. An extensive community survey was also undertaken as part of the community engagement. The values based survey identified the top 10 values of the community, and measured the disparate between who the people are, what they are experiencing in their community and where they would like to be. A Community Questionnaire revealed that only 33 per cent of community people felt empowered
to make a positive difference in the community, 17 per cent believed the policies and programs provided to the community were effective and 28 per cent believed the services and funding provided to the community are appropriate. David Kempton, Member for Cook, attended the workshop, describing it as an exciting and important step for Aurukun. “This is a great community based initiative to build a visionary plan in collaboration with Government and Service Providers,” he said. “All the feedback received was overwhelmingly positive, it was great to see the participants so involved.” “The program was a great success with the next stages due to be implemented in the New Year.” Page 1