Aacap 2004 factsheet atsic army Community Assistance Program (aacap)

Members for the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation met with the Prime Minister on 23 October 1996 to raise concerns about the poor primary health of Indigenous Australians. In November 1996, Senator John Herron, then the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs raised the issue of using the skills and resources of the Army to deliver urgently needed water and health infrastructure to remote indigenous communities.

As a consequence, the Ministers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Defence and the then Health and Family Services (DHFS) met with the Prime Minister on 5 November 1996 and agreed that the Australian Army would assist with infrastructure improvements in a number of communities, identified by ATSIC for priority assistance.

19^th Chief Engineer Works is the Project Manager and the 21^st Construction Squadron is the Army construction agency for AACAP 04, with some workscope items contracted out to either private industry, training team or community in-house bids.

In order to continue all day to day Squadron business and effectively command and control delivery of the agreed scope of works, the Squadron Group comprises approximately 170 personnel. Moreover, the Squadron has deployed approximately two thirds of its organic¹ vehicle and equipment fleet plus a multitude of other vehicles, stores and equipment. This equates to over 1200 tons or 5400 m³ of cargo including 81 vehicles (including earth moving and lifting equipment) and 28 standard 20ft shipping containers.

Relocating the Squadron Group from Brisbane to the NPA occurred via road, air and sea. Heavy stores and equipment is shipped from either Brisbane or Cairns direct to the NPA. Stores and equipment shipped from Cairns is either be procured locally or transported from Brisbane and Townsville via heavy road transport. Personnel deployed to the NPA through a combination of self-drive vehicle, RAN support, RAAF aircraft and commercial shipping. Specific Defence resources that assisted the deployment included HMA Ships TOBRUK, BALIKPAPAN and TARAKAN; the 26^th Transport Squadron, 9^th Force Support Battalion; RAAF C130 aircraft and the Squadron’s own heavy road transport.

21^ST CONSTRUCTION SQUADRON

The role of the 21st Construction Squadron is to provide construction engineering support to a deployed force in order to support land, joint and specified operations for the defence of Australia and its national interests.

The team eventually adopted the rooster as its mascot and displayed a vivid red rooster on the team banner reputedly designed by Sergeant Les Brown, the team’s masseur. In the early 1960s the Red Rooster was adopted as the Squadron mascot and its image appeared on the unit flag for the first time.

Since the 1960s the Red Rooster has been stencilled on unit vehicles and equipment. It progressively developed from a crude stencilled logo to the detailed, hand painted image now on display around the Squadron.

Roosters are sharp-witted, capable, confident, self-reliant and independent, courageous, observant, practical, and resourceful creatures. These are all qualities and attributes valued by military engineers making the Rooster a fitting mascot for a Royal Australian Engineers’ unit.

Rumour suggests that somewhere on every task completed by the Squadron a visitor will find a Red Rooster standing proudly as testimony to the unit’s work.

SCOPE OF WORKS

All communities within the NPA will benefit from:

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  Construction of a regional waste management facility near the existing Injinoo tip as part of the Regional Waste Management Strategy (by Army).
  
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  Refurbishment of some existing tips as a part of the Regional Waste Management Strategy (by contract).
  
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  Community development / training including a pre-vocational certificate in construction and non-accredited training including computer and committee administration skills, basic house maintenance, first aid, small boat handling, welding, engine maintenance and healthy living (by Army).
  
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  The provision of health services, including dental, environmental, veterinary and primary health care (by Army).
  
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  Fluoridation of the water supply at the water treatment plant at Bamaga (by contract).
  

Injinoo will receive the following workscope items:

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  six 3-bedroom houses. Three will be constructed by Army and three will be constructed by contractors.
  
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  upgrade of the permanent electrical supply to existing houses in Snake Gully by contractor.
  

Umagico will receive the following workscope items:

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  two 4-bedroom houses constructed by Army.
  
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  piggery upgrade by contractor.
  

New Mapoon will receive the following workscope items:

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  civil works for a 21-lot sub-division, including full servicing to nine lots - constructed by Army.
  
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  four 3-bedroom houses constructed by contractor.
  
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  safety measures for open drains including grills and fencing by contractor or in-house bid.

  On site preparation for work packages delivered by the 21^st Construction Squadron commenced in May 2004 and construction commenced in June 2004. Construction and delivery of training and health services will continue through to early October 2004. On 8 October 2004 personnel, vehicles and equipment deployed for AACAP 04 will be returned to barracks.

  
  
  Locations of AACAP projects from 1997 to 2005
  

T
he three Aboriginal communities, Injinoo, Umagico and New Mapoon, are the beneficiaries of grants made under AACAP 04 and are serviced by the ATSIC Regional Council in Cairns. The Islander communities of Bamaga and Seisia are serviced by the Torres Strait Regional Authority and are represented by the Islander Coordinating Council.

Injinoo has a population of approximately 500 people and is located on the rivermouth of Cowal Creek. The Injinoo people are the traditional owners of the NPA and include five demographic groups - Angkamuthi (Seven Rivers – western), Atambaya (MacDonall – central), Wuthathi (Whitesand – south eastern), Yuddikana (Cairn Cross – eastern) and Gudan (Red Island, Somerset – northern). The Injinoo lands principally consist of Deeds of Grant held in Trust (DOGIT) and some Aboriginal Reserves. The bulk of the land was transferred back to the traditional owners in 1999 in accordance with the Aboriginal Land Trust Act (1991). This involved approximately 330 000 hectares of land, excluding the DOGIT lands of the other NPA communities.

Umagico is located approximately half way between Bamaga and Injinoo and has a population of approximately 300 people. Umagico was established in 1963 when the people where relocated from the Lockhart River Mission. The Umagico DOGIT was established in 1986 and comprises 5340 hectares.

New Mapoon has a population of approximately 300 and is located between the Seisia and Bamaga. The New Mapoon community has historical and traditional ties to Mapoon, an Aboriginal community 80 km north of Weipa. The people of Mapoon were forcibly removed from their homeland in 1963.

Bamaga is the largest community in the NPA, the main business area and has the majority of the area’s infrastructure. Bamaga has a population of about 700 Islanders with a further 300 temporary non-islander residents. Bamaga was populated shortly after World War Two by the people of Saibai Island, Torres Strait, who investigated the feasibility of forming a community on Cape York after being faced with water shortages and flooding from astrological high tides. In May 1949 the township of Bamaga was formally established after approximately 300 Saibai Islanders had successfully relocated.

Seisia is the second Islander community in the NPA and contains the Port that services the NPA. Seisia has a population of approximately 200 people and fishing off the wharf is regarded as some of the best in Australia.