ATNS - Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements project

Print this page
Brewarrina 'Homemaking skills for women' Shared Responsibility Agreement (SRA)
Date:	6 April 2005
Sub Category:	Shared Responsibility Agreement (SRA)
Place:	North-west Region
	Click this link to search this location with google maps
State/Country:	New South Wales, Australia
	Click this link to search this location with google maps
Subject Matter:	\| Employment and Training \| Health and Community Services
URL:	https://apps.indigenous.gov.au/sra/search/DisplayDocuments.aspx?id=62&name=(Brewarrina&title=Homemaking%20skills%20for%20women&signDate=06-Apr-2005
Summary Information:
The Brewarrina Indigenous Community signed two Shared Responsibility Agreements (SRAs) with the Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments. The first of these focused on education, while the second expands the Brewarrina homemakers project to empower local Indigenous women and improve community well-being. Shared Responsibility Agreements are agreements between governments and Indigenous communities to provide discretionary funding in return for community obligations. The new arrangements developed from an initiative of the Council of Australian Governments and replace the previous ATSIC system of funding. For more information see 'Shared Responsibility Agreement' below.
Detailed Information:
Purpose 'The SRA creates opportunities for the women of Brewarrina to work and learn homemaking and craft skills and provide healthy food to schoolchildren. The community has identified a safer community with responsible alcohol consumption, addressing family breakdown and keeping the community's women strong and healthy as some of their community priorities.' (SRA Fact Sheet). Shared Responsibilities 'The community will rent premises for a women's centre, that will provide a safe environment, a support network and an opportunity to learn new skills. Home wares will be produced (such as curtains, quilts, sheets and soft furnishings) and eventually arts and crafts. The home wares will be used in local houses and may become the basis for a business as the centre expands to include facilities such as a laundromat. The women will also run the school canteen, learning skills in food handling and financial management as well as providing healthy food to the children. Governments will support this project by providing capital and start up costs, funding equipment, providing training through TAFE, and providing free rent and electricity for three months for the school canteen. Under this SRA, the community will continue to support other initiatives such as the 'moselle ban' and the 'granny patrol' (where senior women in the community operate a night patrol to return children to their homes).' (SRA Fact Sheet). The Commonwealth Government's contribution to the SRA totals $135,000. The Brewarrina SRAs are administered by the Bourke Indigenous Coordination Centre.