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 The Dharriwaa Elders Group negotiates a Memorandum of Understanding with Walgett Shire Council
In 2005 the Dharriwaa Elders Group approached the Walgett Shire Council Administrator Hugh Percy, with the proposal to agree in writing on the relationship between the Council and the Elders Group, and acknowledge the DEG's role in the community on a number of fronts. He enthusiastically encouraged the idea, and with the help of legal advisors Gilbert+Tobin, we drafted a discussion document to form the basis of the MoU. The new Council Administrator Vic Smith, met with the Dharriwaa Elders Group in September 2006 to discuss the document, but was unable to progress talks until seeking advice from his relevant staff, which he undertook to do.
The MoU seeks to define how the Council will work with the DEG on Aboriginal cultural matters. The discussion document the DEG developed made proposals that ranged from ensuring the Aboriginal flag is at half mast when a Walgett Aboriginal death occurs, the role of elders at citizenship ceremonies and other official functions, accreditation of Council's use of Aboriginal culture for promotions and business development, to proposing how a consultation process for planning and development (so that Aboriginal cultural heritage is protected), will occur.
Administrator Vic Smith wrote to the DEG in July 2007 that the Council would not consider the document until is has been endorsed by the Walgett Community Working Party. The DEG updated the document and resubmitted it in order to define its relationship with the Council.
In 2008 Vic Smith was unable to meet with the DEG. A newly-arrived colleague did, to announce that the Administrator would not negotiate an MoU with the DEG. We now have to work harder to develop a relationship of trust with the Council. The development of a Walgett Local Environment Plan and a Heritage Plan has now been made much more difficult.
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| Left: New Walgett Shire Administrator Vic Smith attended the DEG's NAIDOC day launch of its new Elders Centre. He is here with DEG Speaker George Rose OAM. Right: DEG members George Rose, Lewis Beale and Virginia Robinson (Walgett Community Working Party Chair) raise the Council's Aboriginal flag on NAIDOC day.
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