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Jasmine Tonkin
Making sure everyone can have their say
Aboriginal communities have a long history of being
ignored by Governments and marginalised when
it comes to provision of essential services, which
provides an opportunity for Local Government to
help redress the balance.
With around 2.2% of Port Adelaide Enfield’s
population identified as being Aboriginal or Torres
Strait Islander, a representation almost twice that of
the Adelaide metropolitan area as a whole, Council’s
response more than a decade ago was to establish
an Aboriginal Advisory Panel to make sure this
community had a fair say in Council’s activities.
“It’s been a good way for us to have a voice, to get
our views across to the Council,” says Jasmine
Tonkin, a panel member for the past three years.
“We all come from different areas and we know the
issues that affect the community.
“The Council has been very honest about what is
achievable and what’s not, and we’ve had a chance to
negotiate the best outcomes,” Jasmine says. “Council
has kept us informed on various issues in what has
been a very open and transparent process.”
Like many in the community, Jasmine has
appreciated the work of Council’s Aboriginal and
Cultural Diversity Officer Janet Taylor who, in May
2010, released a comprehensive research paper for
the City of Port Adelaide Enfield Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Plan.
“It was the result of literally hundreds of
conversations over a number of years,” Janet says.
“These conversations have provided insights that
have then been bounced across other members of
the community to see if they are reflective of other
peoples’ opinions.”
Throughout the consultation phase several
workshops and many one to one meetings were
held with service providers, along with a range of
workshops that were facilitated by other agencies
and service providers.
“Port Adelaide Enfield has a great deal to be proud
of in the way in which Council and the community
as a whole embrace their Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander population,” Janet says.” In many areas
Council demonstrates a leadership role within the
State in the initiatives that it undertakes to work
with and for the Aboriginal population.
“Unless we do this and explore avenues that need to
change, things will not change and the Aboriginal
population will become further disadvantaged
and marginalised.”
Consulting with the community is an essential
element of Council’s approach when developing
new plans and strategies and is especially important
when developing key strategic documents such as
Council’s 2010-2016 City Plan or a masterplan for
the development of McLaren Wharf and
Cruikshank’s Corner.
“A detailed community consultation program
was undertaken to enable comprehensive input
into development of the City Plan,” says Council’s
Manager Strategic & Corporate Policy, Rosa Gagetti.
“This was undertaken in three key phases, the first of
which involved an opportunity for residents to state
what they would like to see in the Council area in the
next 10 years.
“The second phase involved a comprehensive
consultation program to identify issues and ideas and
help develop a Vision for the City of Port Adelaide
Enfield to 2030.
“These two phases were summarised in a Community
Consultation Report that was used to develop a
draft City Plan, and the third phase was when the
community was asked for their feedback, using a
variety of means, which then led to the final plan.
“This is one of the ways Council delivers its objective
of providing open and accountable government,”
Rosa adds, “and it demonstrates how it is responsive
to the needs, interests and aspirations of
the community.”
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