NIRS NEWS STORIES 6am-9am 21 JANUARY 2014
Story 1
To Brisbane, where a number of health organisations are collaborating to hold an event to raise awareness and dispel myths about cancer among Indigenous Australians.
The National Indigenous Cancer Network, Menzies School of Health Research and local health groups will hold the Musgrave Park Cancer Walk in early February in the lead-up to World Cancer Day.
Network Ambassador and breast cancer survivor Adelaide Saylor says there’s still a large amount of stigma surrounding the disease within First Nations groups.
GRAB
Story 2
Aboriginal advancement organization ANTAR has announced Andrew Meehan will take the role of National Director as of May this year.
Mr Meehan currently works as Indigenous Rights Policy Advisor for Oxfam Australia and says he will continue to work on the big campaigns of constitutional recognition and the justice campaign.
Mr Meehan says he believes education is a big part of closing cultural gaps.
GRAB
Story 3
To New South Wales,
The Acting state Opposition Leader says she’s concerned of more alcohol-fuelled violence if a strategy isn’t put in place by the Government to deal with the problem.
Linda Burney has told 2GB radio the Government hasn’t helped the problem by not coming forward with a coherent plan after more alcohol-related violence at the weekend in the CBD.
The O’Farrell Government has met to consider proposals to discuss the issue.
But Ms. Burney says there’s been a lack of leadership from senior Government ministers.
Story 4
The City of Melbourne says they’ll consult with Aboriginal community representatives on an appropriate memorial for two early resistance fighters.
Cassandra Tim reports.
GRAB
Story 5
To New South Wales,
Gomeroi Elders have called on the Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt to intervene to put an emergency stay of works on Whitehaven Coal’s Mauls Creek project.
In a statement by elders, they say Gomeroi people have been marginalised and disrespected in their attempts to protect burial and sacred sites threatened by the mine.
The group has been holding peaceful protests at the development for a number of months and also criticized the company for referring to the elders group as a ‘minority’.
Whitehaven says it’s worked hard with Registered Aboriginal Parties to ensure sites of cultural significance are respected and preserved.
Story 6
Gamilaraay man and social media mentor Luke Pearson says he is encouraging people to donate to an online campaign to have a report into suicide printed and distributed.
The report features 32 elected elders from communities across Australia to highlight the plague of suicide which sees fifty per cent of all cases involving an Indigenous person.
Mr Pearson says he jumped on the opportunity to support the campaign which he feels strongly about.
GRAB
And for crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14
[Online]
To contribute visit http://startsomegood.com/Venture/culture_is_life/Campaigns/Show/culture_is_life_elders_report
Story 7
The Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister is hoping to get community figures to back his plan to lift school attendance in remote communities.
The ABC’s Michael Coggan reports.
GRAB
Story 8
A Bidjara elder from central Queensland has slammed the Native Title system, saying the process to prove connection to country is inauthentic, overwhelming and discriminatory.
Neil Fraser has been fighting for a claim over his country near Rockhampton and in the Carnarvon Ranges for 25 years and went to the High Court in 2007.
Mr. Fraser says it’s inappropriate for direct descendants of country to have to prove their connection in ways inauthentic to Aboriginal peoples.
GRAB
Story 9
The Tasmania Aboriginal Centre says protection of heritage should be an issue on the agenda during the state election campaign.
Premier Lara Giddings has called the election for March 15.
TAC State Secretary Ruth Langford has criticised the Labor Government’s record on the issue, saying the proposed Aboriginal Heritage Protection legislation aims to make it easier for developers to bypass cultural concerns.
Ms. Langford says she hopes a new Government will properly engage with the Aboriginal community.
GRAB
Story 10
To New South Wales,
Where the state Government is reported to announced a new range of measures aimed at combating alcohol-fuelled violence after weeks of pressure.
Details from the ABC’s Sarah Gerathy.
GRAB
Story 11
The Federal Government has warned that the welfare system has become unsustainable, with a new report showing five million people are receiving income support payments.
The ABC’s Simon Cullen has more.
GRAB
Kind Regards,
Michelle Tuahine | News Director
Gangulu/Ngati Kahungunu
NIRS | National Indigenous Radio Service
Lvl 2 / 2 Ambleside Street, West End QLD 4101
Phone: 07 3226 4200 | Email: michelle@nirs.org.au
Website: www.nirs.org.au | Twitter: www.twitter.com/NatIndigRadio
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NIRS-National-Indigenous-Radio-Service
Get more from your National Indigenous Radio Service here: http://www.nirs.org.au/
About the National Indigenous Radio Service
The National Indigenous Radio Service Limited (NIRS) is a national program distribution service that delivers four radio channels of content produced by First Nations broadcasters via satellite distribution and via the internet.
Operating from a central hub in Brisbane, NIRS receives programs from a majority of the 180+ First Nations broadcasting services across Australia.
Arguably, the NIRS satellite footprint is the largest for a First Nations radio network in the southern hemisphere, if not the world. Given this, NIRS and its programs are unique within the Australian media environment. Over 120 Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Services (RIBS) units, 23 Indigenous radio stations and 120 Community Broadcastes receive NIRS. To learn more about our network simply explore our new Google Map interface which show where each and every radio station is located, its website details and even includes a streaming link in some cases.
The reason why NIRS is so important to the sector is because many First Nations broadcasters haven’t the funding support to produce programs for 24/7 broadcasting or possess the funding to employ the number announcers ad producers to make enough high quality programs to support their local community audiences with the style of program that closes the gap.
So for some 15 years, NIRS has delivered its ecletic mix of broadcast programs and a national news service delivered via satellite that all major metropolitan, regional and remote communities via their Remote Indigenous Media Organisations (RIMOs) can receive and add into their regional broadcast schedules.
In this way, NIRS is dedicated to facilitating First Nations voices through broadcasting and internet radio. We achieve this by a mix of programs that provides critical commentary of the strategies directed towards our communities that seek to preserve, promote and maintain First Nations arts, culture, languages and community values. Most particularly, NIRS discusses ‘Closing the Gap’ initiatives that are aimed at achieving quality of life improvements for First Nations communities across Australia.
NIRS also encourages aspirant First Nations broadcasters and RIBS to send their own programs that can be shared and thus opening a ”window” to local community issues to a national audience.
For Broadcasters
For broadcasters who meet the licensing and equipment requirements but lack the funds or resources to provide a full 24-hour service, NIRS will enable them to fill any holes in their schedule with our continuous programming. For community broadcasters who access air time through a CBAA affiliate station, NIRS will provide the opportunity for these areas to hear national Indigenous issues, as well as enabling them to boost local airtime.
The Australia Indigenous Communication Association is also a great way of making contact with First Nations Broadcasters:
http://www.aicainc.org.au/Html/index.html
