Located more than 300 kilometres from the nearest source of employment, Lajamanu Community Government Council has looked at its own needs and resources to create a number of new job opportunities.
“With no CDP funding or Work for the Dole, the community investigated opportunities to produce goods or provide our own services,” said Alan Hudson, Council Clerk.
Lajamanu is situated 600 kilometres south west of Katherine. It has a population of 1,100 people, however, almost 70% are aged under 25 years.
Currently, the community has 90 houses so overcrowding is an issue. With building a priority, Council has established a pressed earth brick manufacturing operation. A construction team is working with qualified tradesmen to build more houses.
Not only has this operation created 12 full time jobs for local people, but the money to purchase and then transport conventional bricks into the community is being saved.
In the past five months, over 60,000 bricks have been produced. As a result, more houses are being built with the available funding, and there is the potential to sell surplus bricks to neighbouring communities.
Eight new houses are nearing completion, with a further 15 planned over the next three years.
“All work undertaken in the community must be funded from some particular project, or has to be done on a cost recovery basis,” Alan Hudson said.
“From only employing 15 people three years ago, Council now has 65 employees on the payroll.”
He said that as the Territory’s first incorporated Community Government Council in 1980, the community is very proud of its achievements over the past 20 years.
“The key for non Aboriginal staff is a philosophy that we have as much to learn from the community as the skills we have to impart,” Alan Hudson said.
“In this way, our acceptance by the community is far greater.”
