CDEP Consultative Group 

The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) has announced a new group to provide advice on the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) Program.

The CDEP Consultative Group will provide advice on operational improvements to the program, with a particular focus on the delivery of effective and innovative training, work readiness activities and community development projects.

It will also provide an important forum for sharing information about successful approaches to service delivery in remote Indigenous communities.

The Group comprises thirteen appointees - nine representative CDEP providers and four people with strong experience in community development, remote work readiness or corporate governance.

The nine CDEP providers appointed to the Group are:

Mr Tyronne Garstone
Chief Executive Officer, Kullarri Regional CDEP Inc, Kimberley region
Ms Janet Brown
Chief Executive Officer, Ashburton Aboriginal Corporation, Pilbara region
Mr John Vos
Chief Executive Officer, East Kimberley CDEP Pty Ltd
Ms Janelle Whitehead
Chief Executive Officer, Murdi Paaki Regional Enterprises Corporation, Far Western NSW
Mr Alex Barker
Director, Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council, in  Far North Queensland
Mr Wayne Buckley
Regional Coordinator, Roper Gulf Shire in the Northern Territory
Mr Shaun Fowler
Operations Manager, Darwin Regional Indigenous Advancement and CDEP
Ms Sharon Yendall
Chief Executive Officer, Tjutunaka Worka Tjuta Inc, Ceduna region SA
Ms Susan Sandery
Manager, Laynhapuy Homelands Association Incorporated

Other representatives include:

  • Mr Adrian Mitchell, who has twelve years experience in senior management as the Director of TAFE NSW Western Institute and the Managing Director of Kimberley TAFE, Western Australia. He has led the Institute in aligning work readiness training to employment opportunities, building regional economic development and safer communities.
  • Mr Ross Johnston, a community development practitioner who focuses on capacity building, strategic planning, service reviews and program support and management. He has worked for the United Nations, Australian Red Cross and the Fred Hollows Foundation in the national and international arena.
  • Mr Ezio (Eddie) Senatore, a consultant in corporate reconstruction, change management and strategic planning. He has extensive experience in Indigenous Affairs building effective corporate governance and conducting program reviews and change management.
  • Mr Stephen Iles, a former Senior Consultant with ACIL Tasman. He has extensive first hand experience of employment and training issues for Indigenous Australians having managed a CDEP provider organisation. In addition he has technical expertise in business development and the delivery of ancillary employment services.

The Group’s first meeting was held on 17/18 December 2009.

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© Commonwealth of Australia 2009 : Last modified 24/12/2009 9:15 AM