Campaign to reinstate Mowanjum workers gathers pace

A public campaign to reinstate a team of indigenous workers from a remote local community who lost their jobs to an interstate company is gathering pace and has been backed by Kimberley MP Josie Farrer.

The entirely indigenous community building team at the Mowanjum community, 12km south east of Derby, lost their jobs last week due to the State Government’s agreement with an East Coast company.

The decision has been met with widespread disdain from the West Kimberley public, with an online petition with more than 350 signatures being drawn up in support of reinstating the Mowanjum team.

Mowanjum Aboriginal Corporation Steve Austin toldThe Broome Advertiser that reports that 12 people have lost their jobs were incorrect, but that six local workers, including one that had been on the team for over a decade, were left unemployed.

“We have had more than 12 in the team in the past, but because work was thinning out we were down to six,” he said.

“There’s just not the work around and as such their chances of employment elsewhere are pretty bleak.”

Mr Austin confirmed that he had a meeting with the Department of Housing’s director of housing programs Peter Lonsdale last Thursday and was working hard to get the team reinstated.

“I am hoping to change some things around so we can reemploy them,” he said.

“It is very disappointing for the community but I am working on a few things to try and turn it around. I am optimistic; I just hope it is sooner rather than later.”

Member for the Kimberley Josie Farrer has lent her support to the cause, hitting back at claims from the State Government that an informal ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with the Mowanjum community, rather than a binding contract, had been in place.

“The Liberal-National Government has washed its hands of long-standing arrangements,” she said.

“It’s an insult to claim maintenance work undertaken for years by Aboriginal Corporations were informal gentlemen’s’ agreements when in fact they were written contracts.”