FAR WEST COAST

 

OVERVIEW

The Far West Coast Region joined Jawun in 2017. The region has an Aboriginal population of approximately 1,100 people and five large Aboriginal communities – Oak Valley, Yalata, Scotdesco, Koonibba, and Ceduna. The characteristics of the region include over 2,000kms of coastline, a growing Aboriginal population and a diversity of industries comprising agriculture, manufacturing, fishing, aquaculture, and tourism, and fast-emerging mining and renewable energy sectors.

The combination of a large geographical area, small population, industrial diversity, and a pristine coastal and land environment presents a range of challenges for the region’s sustainable development. There are numerous competing economic, community and environmental needs that are affected by economies of scale. Working toward a sustainable future is challenged by the distance from metropolitan Adelaide, and the limited capacity of transport and utility infrastructure, which constrains development and prevents many opportunities from being realised.

The region’s leaders are focused on creating a sustainable future for Indigenous people with a strong focus on creating employment, training and enterprise opportunities, strengthening community leadership and strengthening and promotion of Aboriginal culture, including the preservation and revitalisation of local endangered Kokotha, Mirning and Wirangu languages of the Far West Coast.

WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY

Jawun also supports key reform agendas including Koonibba Aboriginal Corporation.

FIELD TEAM

  • Regional Director

    Dave joins Jawun after eighteen years working for the Westpac Group in a variety of leadership roles across multiple divisions including Retail Banking, Margin Lending, Residential Mortgages, and Collections.

    He was heavily involved in supporting Indigenous communities over the last ten years, including as National Co-Chair of Westpac's Indigenous Employee Action Group, Brothers & Sisters, a member of Westpac's Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group, and as a Jawun secondee in Goulburn Murray in 2013 with Ganbina. Dave is a strong believer in shaping a nation in which Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians share financial equity, and led Westpac's remote Indigenous call centre, Yuri Ingkarninthi (which means Deep Listening in Kaurna language) for the past two and a half years.

    Dave holds a Bachelor of Commerce, an MBA (Finance), and a Lean Silver Belt.

    To contact David, please email dmcleod@jawun.org.au

  • General Manager, Regional Investment

    Sarah joined Jawun as Regional Director for the Lower River Murray, Lakes and Coorong, and Far West Coast Regions in South Australia in May 2019.

    Sarah comes to Jawun from a career in project management across the community based and higher education sectors, most recently delivering diverse projects to support the housing, health and wellbeing needs of people sleeping rough in Adelaide. This included the implementation of a new client services database and dashboard reporting, service delivery model review, establishment of a social enterprise to provide training and employment opportunities, and coordination of a peer to peer disaster resilience project, delivering safety messaging and assistance during extreme weather events to people sleeping rough. Sarah played a key role in sector-wide collaborations to address, and end, rough sleeping in Adelaide through the project delivery of SA’s first two annual Connections Week projects to better understand and support people sleeping rough.

    Personally, Sarah is committed to support people in challenging circumstances by providing support, guidance and mentorship to help young people make positive choices in their lives. Sarah mentors high school students through The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program, and is guardianship carer for a young boy through Time for Kids. She has been a member of the Board of Volunteering SA and NT since 2014, and is Chair of the Strategy and Governance Advisory Committee. Sarah joined the SIMNA (Social Impact Measurement Network Australia) Board of Directors in 2018.

    To contact Sarah, please email: scollyer-braham@jawun.org.au

CASE STUDIES

Case studies show how Jawun secondees have achieved real results. If you are interested to learn more about Jawun's work in this region, click on the case studies below.

DESIGNING A PARTNERSHIP - UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

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