Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation

BAC is one of Australia's oldest outstation resource agencies, established in its original form in 1974 to support those people who chose to live on their clan estates in the Arnhem Land Reserve, rather than in the government settlement of Maningrida. In 1979 it was incorporated under the Federal Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act.

The Community Development Employment Program (CDEP) was first introduced to this region in 1989 when outstation residents were paid primarily to maintain their outstations. In 1996 following financial problems at Maningrida Council the government transferred the Maningrida town CDEP program to BAC to operate and administer.

There are now some 600 Aboriginal people participating in the combined program, one of the largest in the country. Those who choose to remain on their outstations continue to be paid for their land management work while those who choose to live in Maningrida are engaged in conventional employment provided by the different town agencies and the 20 businesses run by BAC.

BAC's enterprise development began in 1996 when it took over as the operator of the town's fuel supply. Profits from this business provided the organisation with its first discretionary income. Over the years discretionary income has been used to fund the development of a variety of new trading enterprises to create meaningful employment for all CDEP participants and to foster the growth of unsubsidised jobs.

Currently the turnover of the 20 businesses BAC has established contributes more than 50% of BAC's total turnover. Business profits are used to "top-up" the wages of CDEP workers who want to work more than the 18 hours per week paid for by CDEP and to reward with a higher rate of pay those workers who take on extra responsibilities or have specific skills. Top-up is a financial incentive to work as it provides the monetary difference between CDEP and UB (Unemployment Benefit).

The Objects of the Organisation are:

	to promote the maintenance of language, culture and traditional practice;
	to promote the management and sustainable use of traditional lands;
	to promote community development;
	to promote the welfare of residents;
	to provide or assist in the provision of and maintenance of education, training, employment, housing, health, communications and other services;
	to foster business opportunities and to promote economic independence; and
	to promote, in all of its endeavours, the common good and mutual benefit of its members through fair, equitable and representative action and enterprise.

Governance Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation is managed by an Executive Committee elected annually by the members at the Corporations' annual general meeting. Policy is determined by the Executive Committee at regular meetings. Policies formulated at the executive level are enacted by the organisation through the leadership of the Chief Executive Officer Ian Munro and the management team in conjunction with senior staff in each program area.

People -the members and clients Aboriginal people within this region experienced relatively late contact with the wider Australian society. A permanent Balanda (non Indigenous) presence dates only from 1957 when a government settlement was established at Maningrida. Consequently, traditional cultural institutions remain robust and are an integral part of community life: society continues to be organised within traditional kinship groups; ceremony remains an important part of life; and people continue to speak their own languages. Older people may speak very little English.
Members and clients move freely between the town of Maningrida and their outstations. Some reside permanently on one of the 32 outstations BAC services while others move to Maningrida either seasonally or more permanently for employment, health or other reasons.
Aboriginal people have a fundamental relationship with their land. It could be said that for Aboriginal people, 'Country' is the family home, the family farm and the family religion all rolled into one. Even this description fails to fully capture the immense importance of 'Country' to Aboriginal people.

Maningrida

Current direction
Since its inception the organisation has expanded and diversified in response to the changing needs of the rapidly growing population, and major shifts in government policy. BAC is now a large and complex regional development organisation with an annual turnover of over $26 million, providing services for 32 outstations, administering over 40 grants, operating a large CDEP program, and managing a range of businesses. The organisation continues to focus on economic development and the creation of employment opportunities for all within the context of the maintenance of land, language and culture.