Mary G, Stanley on new Indigenous board

Comedian Mary G, Professor Fiona Stanley and local government chief executive Ricky Burges are just a few of the names appointed to a new, nine-member Indigenous Implementation Board to be chaired by Lieutenant General John Sanderson.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Kim Hames today announced the formation of the board to improve social and economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Lt Gen Sanderson was appointed late last year to establish a new body to enhance indigenous involvement in local decision-making and strengthen corporate and non-government contribution to indigenous affairs.

Dr Hames said a framework would be developed to guide future collaboration and agreements with the Commonwealth and local government and other key stakeholders working with indigenous Western Australians.

"The members of the board are well-placed to advise on indigenous disadvantage and will report directly to me, with the Department of Indigenous Affairs providing high level executive support," he said.

"The terms of membership are staggered to ensure strong continuity. The board is not a representative body; rather members are chosen based on their expertise and influence. Lt Gen Sanderson and the board have the knowledge and experience to advise the Government in relation to Commonwealth and local government responsibilities under relevant bilateral arrangements."

Lt Gen Sanderson said it was necessary to explore new options to ensure positive outcomes from within indigenous communities themselves.

"This is about a fundamental shift in the policy framework for engaging with Aboriginal people," Lt Gen Sanderson said.

The full board is expected to meet in early February.

Indigenous Implementation Board

Chairman:

Lt General John Sanderson AC

Lieutenant General John Sanderson, AC was Governor of his home state, Western Australia for five years. Before this role he spent 40 years at the operational and strategic levels of defence and security planning. He was Chief of the Australian Army from 1995-1998 and commanded the United Nations Peacekeeping Force during the period of UN transition authority in Cambodia from 1992 until its successful completion in 1993. His services have been recognised by the award of the Member of the Order of Australia (1985), the Officer of the Order (1991), the Companion of the Order (1994), The United States of America Legion of Merit (Commander Class) and the Grand Cross of the Royal Cambodian Order (2006). A civil engineer by background, he is an Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia and holds honorary doctorates from a number of institutions.

Members:

Mr Mark Bin Bakar
Mark Bin Bakar, better known as Mary G, has dedicated much of his adult life to promoting indigenous life and culture. Mr Bin Bakar established Abmusic, a successful music school to help indigenous musicians. Mr Bin Bakar is chairman of the Kimberly Stolen Generation Aboriginal Corporation. He travels extensively to remote areas talking to people about alcohol and drug abuse, health care, emotional wellbeing, respect for elders and domestic violence. Mr Bin Bakar has a nationally broadcast radio show where he also promotes indigenous culture.

Mr Kim Bridge
Kim Bridge is an Aboriginal trainer and consultant with an extensive background in collaborative community and economic development. He has a strong affiliation and connection with regional Australia. He was born and raised in the East Kimberley and has lived and worked extensively in regional areas of Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland. This has enabled him to encounter many personal and business experiences and gain sound knowledge of the varied issues encountered by people living in these locations.

Ms Dawn Wallam
Dawn Wallam has been CEO of the Yorganop Child Care Aboriginal Corporation for 11 years. She has shown initiative and innovation in decision-making and problem-solving within her position at Yorganop and under her direction Yorganop has become a leader in the field of Aboriginal children's services. Dawn has been proactive in representing indigenous children's issues at all levels including local, State, national and international forums in her role as an executive member of the Secretariat National Aboriginal Islander Child Care. In 2005, she was one of the founding signatories of the Sub Group on Indigenous Children to the United Nations Working Group on the Rights of the Child. She is a Wadandi/Bibbulmun Elder of the Noongar Nation and is held in high respect within and outside the indigenous community.

Dr Sue Gordon AM
Dr Sue Gordon AM was awarded the Order of Australia for commitment to Aboriginal people and community affairs in 1993. In 1988, she became the first full-time and first Aboriginal Magistrate in the Children's Court of Western Australia in Perth. Dr Gordon was appointed as Chairperson of the National Indigenous Council in 2004. In 2003, she received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters (Hon.DLitt) from the University of Western Australia. She also has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from UWA. In 1986 she was appointed as Commissioner for Aboriginal Planning, becoming the first Aboriginal person to head a Government department in WA. In 1990, she was appointed as one of the first five Commissioners to run the newly established Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.
Ms Helen Milroy
Helen Milroy is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of WA and was born and educated in Perth. She studied medicine at the University of Western Australia and completed specialist training in child psychiatry. Ms Milroy is a member of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians' Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Committee and the Social Health Reference Group that developed the National Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing 2004-2008. Helen works as a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at the Bentley Family Clinic and Families at Work residential programme. Helen is also an Associate Professor and director for the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health (CAMDH) at UWA. The CAMDH won the Premiers Award 2005 for Aboriginal Health Initiatives within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Science.

Mr Brendan Hammond
Mr Hammond is the CEO of the Australian Children's Trust supporting the Australian Covenant which aims to see the employment of 50,000 indigenous people in Australia in the next decade. This appointment follows Mr Hammond's 22 years extensive experience with Rio Tinto, including engineering and metallurgy roles in Namibia and previous operational management at Argyle Diamonds.

Professor Fiona Stanley AC
Named Australian of the Year in 2003, Professor Stanley is a vocal advocate for the needs of children and their families. Professor Stanley is the founding director of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, established in Perth in 1990. She is also a Professor in the School of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Western Australia. Professor Stanley is the Chair of the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth. In 2004, Professor Stanley was honoured as a 'National Living Treasure' by the National Trust. She is the UNICEF Australia Ambassador for Early Childhood Development. Professor Stanley has more than 200 published papers in scientific journals, and is a member of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council and the Australian Statistics Advisory Council.

Ms Ricky Burges
Ms Burges joined WALGA in 2000. Previously she was the Director General of the Department for Culture and the Arts, Chief Executive Officer of Perth Zoo and a director of Human Resources at the WA Tourism Commission. Ms Burges has a Masters in Leadership and Management from Curtin University of Technology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Development. Ms Burges sits on the UWA Urban & Regional Planning Board, the REACH Foundation, the Local Government Insurance Board and various local government committees and boards, as well as the Board of Leadership WA. Ms Burges is past President of the Australian Institute of Management and the board of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, and was the Western Australian Businesswoman of the Year in 1997.