East Kimberley's Indigenous people hope to share the bounty this time
Oct 12 2018 at 11:00 PM
Updated Oct 12 2018 at 11:00 PM
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Ronald Roe was made redundant in 2014 and is looking for work around the Ord River in Western Australia. ANGUS GRIGG
In telling his life story Ronald Roe is neither aggrieved nor bitter. The 42-year-old was made redundant from the Argyle diamond mine in the East Kimberley as it wound down operations in 2014 and since then he's "just been floating about".
Despite five years of work at the mine taking home $1000 a week and a $104,000 redundancy payout he has little to show for his efforts. He does not own a house or car and his payout is long gone.
"That went in four months," he says.
Based in Kununurra, the closest town to the Ord River irrigation scheme in Western Australia, Roe and other Aboriginal people should be in line to benefit substantially from the latest stage of its development.
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Aboriginal elder Kevin Morgan runs a training program that gives "people their dignity back through training programs and work''. ANGUS GRIGG
But while the father of five is supportive of a plan to double the cropping area and sees work opportunities from a $1.5 billion prawn farm set to be built nearby, he hardly feels included.
"Aboriginal people just go with the flow, we don't get any benefit so we don't really give a f---," he says.
The challenge, as the latest round of activity takes hold across the Ord, is not only to get Roe, who is qualified to drive heavy machinery, back into work, but ensure the broader Indigenous community benefits from an improvement in living standards and opportunities.
Roe's overseer at local employment program East Kimberley Job Pathways, Kevin Morgan, says the situation is "very poor at the moment" but improving.
"It is slow but it's getting better," says the local Aboriginal elder. "We are giving people their dignity back through training programs and work."
The 56-year-old, who has worked all round the country as a carpenter, says his program has placed 15 people in full time work over the past two years.
"They are doing really good. They are really proud of themselves," he says, noting they have encouraged others from the community back into work.
He sees saving and better use of money as a secondary issue for local Indigenous people, although one that will come into sharper focus as the region's development picks up.
As part of its agreement with traditional owners, Kimberley Agricultural Investments (KAI) has developed 690 hectares of irrigated land for MG Corporation, which represents the local Miriuwung Gajerrong people. That land is worth more than $6 million and if devoted to a crop like cotton could potentially generate half that much revenue each year.
Jim Engelke, the general manager of KAI, says the traditional owners are now seeking partners to crop the land and are making decisions on what to grow.
Situation improving
He echoes Morgan in saying the situation for Aboriginal people is not perfect, but is slowly improving.
"It never will be perfect, but the main thing is that it's getting better."
The traditional owners have also settled native title for the prawn farm being built outside Kununurra by the ASX-listed Seafarms Group.
The settlement was described as "generous" by the chief executive of the Northern Land Council Joe Morrison, who helped negotiate the 95-year agreement.
"The agreement will deliver long-term benefits to traditional owners and other Aboriginal people," he says.
It will not only provide jobs but a local Indigenous enterprise has been awarded one of the early construction contracts valued at around $1 million, with further contracts to follow.
Robert Boshammer, a local farmer and business owner, says if development continues the local traditional owners should be among the biggest beneficiaries.
"If we get this right then the traditional owners will be the major winners, as they will be able to develop their own land, which is potentially very valuable and productive," he says.
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