Steps needed to address Aboriginal unemployment

Aboriginal unemployment in the Collie region needed to be addressed through employment strategies which would benefit Aboriginal people both in the short and long term.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Judyth Watson said the current unemployment rate of 95 per cent was unacceptable and mirrored rates of Aboriginal unemployment in other parts of the State.

"The Government is looking at the question of Aboriginal employment throughout the State in a bid to redress the imbalance in the proportion of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in work," Dr Watson said.

"In her recent economic development package - 'The WA Advantage' - the Premier gave a commitment to develop guidelines so that local people, particularly Aboriginal people, could take advantage of economic development projects in their areas.

"This will be particularly important in Collie because of the proposed new power station development and the general expansion of economic and resource development in the South-West region.

"Already the Government, through the Minister for Employment and Training has supported the development of an affirmative action plan to enhance Aboriginal employment and training opportunities associated with the power station project."

Dr Watson's comments came at the opening of the newly purchased and renovated centre for the Collie Aboriginal Advancement Association.

The centre has been funded by the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority, the WA Lotteries Commission and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.

The Minister said Collie's Noongar population of around 400 would benefit from the centre and its activities.

"The centre will give the local Aboriginal population a place of its own in which both young and old can enjoy recreational activities as well as being provided with information on Government services, training schemes and mature age education programs," Dr Watson said.

"The Collie Aboriginal Advancement Association is involved in a wide range of activities in the community and needs to be congratulated for its on-going effort to improve the living standards and opportunities for local Aboriginal people.

"The Government is committed to improving the social and economic well-being of Aboriginal people and I hope the association's new centre will go some way to achieving that goal.

"It will involve a joint effort - a community effort - and I hope all the people of Collie, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal alike, support the work of the centre for the betterment of the community as a whole," Dr Watson said.