News from Around the Region

Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) has been recognised as a Winner for Employer of Choice in The Australian Business Awards 2021. The Australian Business Awards for Employer of Choice recognises organisations that develop leading workplaces that maximise the full potential of their workforce through established policies and practices that demonstrate effective employee recruitment, engagement and retention.

CDRC is a Local Government entity that operates in the Northern Territory, to the north of Alice Springs, with boundaries that go from the Queensland Border to the WA border covering a land area of 282,064km2. The municipal area is home to approximately 4,200 people and spread over eleven Indigenous communities and one town. Council’s workforce of around 240 staff, over 69% of whom are Indigenous, is spread over those twelve locations and also in the Alice Springs based headquarters. The area is home to the most disadvantaged people in the Northern Territory, and CDRC’s core mission is to build sustainable communities through service delivery, advocacy, and community engagement.

The Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) Community Development Program (CDP) have got a working greenhouse going in Willowra to engage job seekers in the community. Ricardo Burton, Support Officer, cleared the grass from the existing greenhouse which had been neglected, and Francis Madonko, Program Manager CDP Activities, teamed up with Mark Wilson, Activity Project Officer CDP, to repair it.

In the planting beds tomatoes, onion, silver beat, chillies, and herbs were planted, and some old car tyres were added under the garden stands and planted with pumpkins.

Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) have plans for more CDRC staff accommodation in Yuelamu. This means that the old Yuelamu ‘Silver Bullet’ had to be removed to make room for it and any future expansion of staff accommodation.

The ‘Silver Bullet’ was once used as a classroom and then as CDRC staff accommodation, but due to containing legacy asbestos had to go. On Saturday 11 September Alice Springs Towing alongside Nicholl Constructions successfully removed and disposed of the old ‘Silver Bullet’.

Photo: The ‘Silver Bullet’ being removed from Yuelamu.

The Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) Atitjere Municipal Works Team have just taken delivery of a new Kubota SVL75 skid steer. 

Shane White, Nathan Fishook and David Rankine got familiar with the new machine on Tuesday, 28 September. 

The new machine has a higher lifting capacity and is tracked making it more suitable for landfill works than the older JCB wheeled skid steer that it replaces. The control layout and cabin is very similar to the old machine making the change over easy. The cabin in the new skid steer is air conditioned and has an adjustable suspension seat that makes operation comfortable. It also has an auger attachment and extension forks for the front end loader making it very versatile. 

The Work Health and Safety (WHS) October Safe Work Month film competition was hotly contested this year, with the dominant themes around vehicles and personal protective equipment (PPE).

At the September Council meeting the Councillors watched all the movies and deliberated over the outcome and there was a dead heat between two movies. Luckily, the Hon. Chansey Paech was in attendance for the swearing in of the new Councillors and was asked to choose the winner.

The winner as chosen by the Council and the Minister were the Community Development Program (CDP) team for their film, ‘Think Safe and Drive Safe’. Congratulations to the CDP team.

The Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) Community Safety Patrol (CSP) team held a barbecue on Saturday night to introduce the new CSP vehicle for Engawala.

“The BBQ was a huge success.  We had over 45 people come along, and the CSP Team Members did a lot of the heavy lifting with cooking, setting up the tables, and serving people,” said CSP Team Leader in Engawala, Stephen Royes. “And they love the new car!” he added.

The new vehicle is a Toyota Fortuna, an SUV version of the Hilux that it is replacing, with capacity to carry seven people. A new one will go to each of the CDRC CSP communities.

Engawala got the first vehicle of the new set, because the team took such good care of their last vehicle.

Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) welcomes the newly elected Councillors to the fourth CDRC Council, who were sworn in on 30 September in Alice Springs, with Chansey Paech MLA in attendance.

Cr Adrian Dixon was elected President once again by the Council, with Cr Warren Williams returning to the role of Deputy President.

Adrian Dixon, Warren Williams, James Glenn, William Liddle, April Martin, Jacob Spencer and Freddy Williams all return to the Council, with Adrian Dixon and James Glenn having served on Council since its beginning in 2008.

Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) Youth, Sport and Recreation (YSR) staff attended a three day training week to complete various courses and planning sessions from 21 – 23 September. There was a total of twenty participants including staff from Laramba, Yuelamu, Atitjere, Pmara Jutunta, Nturiya, Wilora, Engawala and Alice Springs.

Over the three days the group completed an internal planning session to discuss what is working in the program and what requires further improvement. Strategies discussed will be implemented by staff across CDRC sites to further enhance the program.

On Thursday 9 September Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) Aged Care staff attended the Graduation ceremony at Batchelor – Desert People Centre Campus Alice Springs to graduate their Certificate II in Family Well Being.

There were four staff from Anmatjere, three staff from Engawala and two staff from Atitjere.

Congratulations to all the graduates.

The first round of the new breakfast all staff meetings were conducted throughout all nine Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC) council centres on 31 August.  For Engawala and Atitjere egg and bacon sandwiches and fruit juice were on the menu. Engawala utilised the Aged Care facility while Atitjere were able to make use of their barbecue to get the job done.

All staff in attendance appreciated the opportunity to have a feed and discuss any local matters prior to the Council wide phone link up being conducted. This round Engawala was supported by Aged Care and Atitjere by Municipal.