April 24, 2015
Angry and distressed Cherbourg community leaders and residents have sent an open letter to Prime Minister Tony Abbott calling for more support for The Ration Shed Museum.
The letter has also be sent to Member for Wide Bay, Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss.
The residents say the failure of The Ration Shed to secure necessary support from the Federal Government’s new “Indigenous Advancement Strategy” funding system means it is now at risk of closing its doors at the end of June.
Ration Shed Museum chairperson and Cherbourg Elder Aunty Sandra Morgan cannot comprehend why support for the education, tourism and community centre has not been forthcoming.
“Mr Abbott has spoken strongly many times about the need to close the gap for Indigenous people and to support advancement and success,” Aunty Sandra said.
“We are hopeful that this is not just cheap talk and that he and our local member, Warren Truss, will listen to us and support this business and community asset.
“Our project was born in the community, it is run by the community and it is successful.
“Every year we are increasing our visitors and our income from the business side. We employ and train local people.
“But we’ve now got to up our game, invest in our heritage buildings, improve our governance and invest in marketing. Without a leg up from the government this won’t happen.”
The award-winning Ration Shed Museum was established in 2004.
It is based in the old Ration Shed and Boys Dormitory of the former Cherbourg Mission. It showcases the history of the Cherbourg community and its people over the last century.
It operates as an education and community centre for local people and visitors.
A key part of its work is providing education programs for visiting school classes to learn about Australian and Aboriginal history. In 2014, the Ration Shed had more than 5000 visitors.
“We are sending an open letter to the Prime Minister and our local member Warren Truss signed by over 200 members of the local community, because when we applied for government support we were rejected in the new ‘Indigenous Advancement Strategy’ funding system and only received a fraction of funds to run a small project,” Aunty Sandra said.
“Previous government support for the Museum was provided through a wide range of government programs.
“Mr Abbott and Mr Truss, we want to continue to grow our community centre and create a tourist and education destination that everyone in the South Burnett, Queensland and Australia can visit and be proud of.
“Please don’t let it die. Please continue to support us.”
* * *
An Open Letter to: The Prime Minister Tony Abbott
and the Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss
We, as the Elders and members of the Cherbourg Aboriginal Community in South East Queensland wish to express our profound disappointment with the outcomes of the Indigenous Advancement Strategy funding round announced in March 2015.
We are writing to ask you to reconsider our proposal.
As Deputy Prime Minister Truss (our local member), Minister Scullion and the officials of the Department, who have visited us recently are aware, the Ration Shed Museum is vibrant, functional and significant part of Cherbourg.
It is becoming a thriving business with an annual turnover of $400,000. At this point in our business, we need continued support from government to give us a chance to develop a sustainable business that aims to operate independently of Government funding within five years.
We fulfil many functions – people in Cherbourg see the Ration Shed Museum as the heart of our community. It plays an important part in our cultural and social life, as a meeting place, a healing place. It is where we promote and nurture our local artists and cultural workers.
We have been attracting tourists to the South Burnett region, many school groups and artists and craft people, students and youth.
Last year we had over 2000 school students visiting the Ration Shed who came to learn more about Australian and Aboriginal history.
People coming out of the Correctional Services system and those looking for work all use the Ration Shed to gain confidence and find a place for themselves.
It is a place where our history is stored and where Reconciliation, building bridges and forgiveness is encouraged.
The Ration Shed Museum is a community driven and community run organisation. Most of the people who work here are Indigenous.
The Ration Shed is a success story and it is an example to other communities in rural and remote areas. Our town is measured as the second lowest socio-economic demographic area in Queensland and we are actively trying to promote change.
Our aim in the coming years is create a world-class visitor destination for the South Burnett region and Australia.
To do this we need to upgrade our historic buildings as well as the basic infrastructure. We need to enhance our community projects, promote our artists, improve our governance, train and employ more young people, improve our general marketing and continue the efforts that make our Ration Shed a thriving community centre.
Many of these issues require funds well in excess of our normal turnover.
We applied to the Indigenous Advancement Strategy in the belief that it would be just that: a strategy for advancement of Indigenous projects.
We believed that the government would back success. We believed that when Government representatives came to talk or consult with us about our own needs and welfare that they were fair dinkum in their desire to see our business advance.
The outcome of the funding round produced a very small injection of funds into our arts and crafts projects. While we are grateful for this, we are hugely disappointed with your overall response to our proposal.
The Ration Shed will continue in our efforts to keep our Museum and business thriving.
We, as a community and as Cherbourg Elders, believe that the sort of treatment in the light of the mixed messages we received and the overall disappointment we experienced should be made public.
Our community and the general public expects better and this is a message we hope that you will hear from us.
(signed – six signatures)
cc: The Minister for Indigenous Affairs Senator Nigel Scullion
The Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) Michael Thawley, and
The Regional Manager, PM&C, Queensland.
NB. This Open Letter was accompanied by a Petition bearing more than 250 signatures
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I think it’s an absolute disgrace, the federal government should be ashamed. The government continuously preaches about “Closing the Gap” on one hand, while robbing us blind with the other hand. Shame on you Tony Abbott.
I agree, Olivia. Nigel Scullion and Warren Truss appear to have encouraged the Ration Shed to put all their trust into this new funding system, and the result is the money they have been offered for the next three years wouldn’t even pay for their public liability insurance. The Ration Shed is a brilliant facility and they want to become self-sufficient. But now that they are getting close, the Government pulls the rug out from under them. This really is a disgrace.