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Minutes of the Aboriginal Advisory Committee Meeting held Friday 8 April 2022 Venue:
Mike Rayner Room, Tweed Heads Administration Office and Virtual Time:
10.00am Present:
Des Williams (Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council - TBLALC); Leweena Williams (Tweed Aboriginal Corporation for Sport); Jackie McDonald (Tweed
Wollumbin Aboriginal Education Consultative Group - TWAECG); Tina Pidcock (Tweed Aboriginal Co-operative Society); Cr Nola Firth (Councillor).
Ex-officio:
Stewart Brawley, Tim Appo, Gabby Arthur (Minutes) (Tweed Shire Council).
Apologies:
Victor Slockee (Canowindra); Dale Williams (Bugalwena); Helen Carter (Tweed Shire Council), Brad Nardi (Tweed Tourism).
Chairperson for meeting
Nominated: Jackie McDonald Moved: Des Williams Seconded: Leweena Williams
RESOLVED: Jackie McDonald was nominated and unanimously elected to Chair the meeting.
Jackie McDonald opened the meeting with a welcome to all present and paid respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
Minutes of Previous Meeting:
Moved: Des Williams Seconded: Leweena Williams
RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Aboriginal Advisory Committee meeting held Friday 4 February 2022 be accepted as a true and accurate record of the proceedings of that meeting with the following amendment:
BA2. Aboriginal History Information on Council's Website
• Lieutenant James Cook renamed Wollumbin / Mount Warning and Jabu Jabal / Point Danger (Aboriginal area of Booningbah)
Business Arising:
BA1. Neville Bonner Memorial
TACS advised permission is required from both its Board and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to install the Neville Bonner memorial plaque in the grounds of Minjungbal Aboriginal Museum. TACS will forward the request to NPWS following its meeting.
Action: CDO-Aboriginal to email Tweed Aboriginal Co-operative Society seeking permission for the plaque installation in the grounds of Minjungbal Aboriginal Museum
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recognising the 100 year anniversary of Neville Bonner's birth at Ukerebagh Island on 28 March 1922.
Action: Tweed Aboriginal Co-operative Society to forward request for plaque installation in the grounds of Minjungbal Aboriginal Museum to National Parks & Wildlife Service for approval following its Board meeting.
BA2. Introduction of Cr Nola Firth
Cr Firth was introduced to the AAC and welcomed to the meeting.
BA3. Naming of new Murwillumbah School
TWAECG is not yet aware of the preferred name for the new school as the principals are waiting approval by the Geographical Names Board. TWAECG nominated the name Wollumbin Education Community.
BA4. NSW Coastal Conference
TBLALC will be presenting at the upcoming NSW Coastal Conference.
BA5. Kings Forest Development – Use of Aboriginal Names for Streets
Tim advised that the 10 words chosen by the AAC for Street Names at Kings Forest have been emailed to Everick noting the first 5 words are the preferred:
• Boorum - Tea Tree
• Midyim - Berry
• Timbarra - Grass Tree
• Koribar - White Cedar
• Piginga - Stringybark
• Buani - Bunya
• Bunburra - Beech
• Bulbo - Apple tree
• Gundul – Bark of a tree
• Gurang - Ash
Tim has requested that the meaning of each word be included on the street signs however this will depend on whether it fits on the template. There is a risk that residents may choose to use the meaning/translation as the street name as it is easier to pronounce.
BA6. Aboriginal History Information on Council's Website
Discussion in relation to the location of the real Jabu / Point Danger and Booningbah / Fingal and the debate which is on the Captain Cook Society's website:
https://www.captaincooksociety.com/home/detail/point-danger-under-which-there-is-a-small- island#:~:text=Today's%20Point%20Danger%20lies%20about,the%20bearing%20that%20 Cook%20gave
Action: CDO-Aboriginal to provide Council staff with the link to the article on Capital Cook Society's website requesting that the debate be included on Council's website.
Agenda Items:
A1. Goorimahbah - Place of Stories
Council is looking to install a number of timber carved play items in Goorimahbah eg. a goanna and crab and is seeking advice from the AAC as to whether there is a local
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Aboriginal artist that could create the features. If not, Council is seeking feedback from the AAC regarding the commissioning of Glenn Romanis, an artist based in Victoria who carves play items. The AAC were shown images of Glenn's work from his website:
https://www.glennromanis.com/. The AAC advised that it supports the commissioning of Glenn Romanis for these works.
A2. Tweed Regional Museum - Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
Tweed Regional Museum is redesigning its website. The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage section is the most visited page on the current website and will be moved to the new website. The Museum is seeking approval from the AAC to include the Aboriginal Place Names Factsheet on the Museum's website. The AAC advised the documents require updating and suggested that a workshop be held to review both the Aboriginal Place Names Factsheet and List of Aboriginal place/location names in Tweed Shire documents which were prepared by Ian Fox in consultation with the AAC in 2014.
Action: CDO-Aboriginal to organise a workshop at Tweed Aboriginal Co-operative with AAC members; Jackie McDonald, Uncle Des Williams, Leweena Williams and Tina Pidcock to make the necessary amendments to the Aboriginal Place Names Factsheet and List of Aboriginal place/location names in Tweed Shire. Tim will email both documents to the AAC members prior to the workshop.
The AAC agreed that the Four Seasons calendar can be included on the Tweed Regional Museum website as an unprintable, low resolution, watermarked version advising that it can be purchased from the Minjungbal Aboriginal Museum and Cultural Centre.
A3. Draft Character Statement - Burringbar Village
The AAC requested details of the author of the draft Character Statement for Burringbar Village and advised it will be considered at the next meeting.
Action: CDO-Aboriginal to request details of the author of the draft Character Statement for Burringbar Village.
A4. Tweed Tourism - Brad Nardi
Brad is an apology for this meeting. Item held over until Brad is able to attend.
Outstanding Maters Report:
OM1. Aboriginal Advisory Committee Terms of Reference
Tim advised that he is working with Council's Governance Team to review the AAC Terms of Reference. One of the changes is for the chairperson to be set for a 12 month period so that the Agenda and Minutes can be forwarded for approval before circulation. The AAC advised it would prefer to have a roaming chairperson. Stewart suggested that an official chairperson be appointed who endorses the Agendas and Minutes and acts as the 'go to person' but there also be a shared chairperson for the actual meetings.
OM2. Burial in the middle of Fingal Head Holiday Park Campground
The AAC advised a meeting was held with the Aboriginal community at Fingal on 7 April 2022 and some recommendations and suggestions were made. The following matters were raised by the AAC:
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• The Aboriginal community wish to connect with David Hannah regarding burial sites identified in the Fingal Holiday Park and surrounding area.
• A further burial site has been identified in the grounds of the Fingal Holiday Park near the wetlands.
• The burials in the middle of Letitia Road still require consideration. Jackie advised there was a proposal to realign the road to protect the burials but this option would affect the wetlands.
• TBLALC has placed bollard/barriers in front of the cemetery to stop people walking and parking in the area and require assistance from Council to stop the public using the area as a thoroughfare.
• The AAC suggested that a sign or plaque be erected in the areas where the burials have been identified and where the caravan park has encroached into the cemetery saying 'This is a dedicated cemetery and not a park. Please respect this area'.
Action: CDO-Aboriginal to liaise with Council's Senior Planning Applications Officer, Environmental Science (David Hannah) and the Aboriginal community regarding the burial sites identified in Fingal Holiday Park and surrounds.
General Business:
GB1. NAIDOC Week expectations and contribution from Council
Update on NAIDOC Week arrangements for 2022. Tim to liaise with Council staff and NAIDOC Committee about:
• Invoice to Council for NAIDOC Week contribution
• Park bookings
• Inviting the market operator to attend a meeting with the NAIDOC Committee re:
o market booking set up from 2pm o sand mandala
o sand pit for the Corrobboree
o whether the markets can be set up around the sand mandala.
Action: CDO-Aboriginal to liaise with NAIDOC Committee and Council staff regarding arrangements for the event.
GB2. Reconciliation Week
Tim advised that the RAP Group is working on some ideas including: banners on bridges and overpasses, email signature, lights on the border marker. The RAP Working Group is focussing on raising awareness through importance and context so the Acknowledgement of Country becomes normal business at the beginning of all meetings and that everyone
understands why it is done. The AAC were encouraged to pass on any recommendations for inclusion in Reconciliation Week.
Incoming Correspondence:
Nil.
Next Meeting:
The next meeting of the Aboriginal Advisory Committee will be held Friday 6 May 2022.
The meeting closed at 11.20am.
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EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM’S COMMENTS:
Nil
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM’S RECOMMENDATIONS:
Nil.
