Give it all you got!

From the moment they hit the stage, guitars straps slung over shoulders, twelve year-old Adi and fifteen year-old Jada communicate without words. It’s incredible to watch—this subtle movement of hands and eyes, a chord here, a note there.

“We give each other secret signals, play a little bit and then we know where to start,” Jada says.

The Broome-based sisters have their own band ‘Jadadi’ and with the support of an Ambooriny Burru Nipper Tabagee Scholarship they were able to travel to the Tamworth Country Music Festival earlier this year.

In Tamworth they played back-to-back gigs, brushing shoulders and even breakfasting with country music heavyweights like Troy Cassar-Daley and Casey Chambers.

Pumped up on energy drinks, they played on stages and busked on the street. “When we were busking, a lot of people gathered around and afterwards, the crowd took photos with us and we got to sign autographs,” Jada says.

The stack of cds they took to the festival sold out within days.

“We were supposed to save some for our family back here, but people kept buying them!” Jada says.

It’s easy to understand why. The girls complement each other, blending seamless harmonies as they sing about fishing, about love, about home.

“Sometimes we do get nervous before we start playing,” Adi admits, “but we’re grateful to have had the opportunity to go to Tamworth and build our confidence.”

Jada agrees, saying the Nipper Tabagee Scholarship really gave the girls the lift they needed.

“It made it possible for us to play at the festival and to give us exposure at this national level.”

The Nipper Tabagee Scholarship is designed to help end the disparity in employment outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

By encouraging our young people to pursue and achieve their goals in the short-term, we’re also securing their long-term economic and social engagement.

We believe supporting the aspirations of our people will prove to be one of our greatest investments.

When asked what advice they’d give other aspiring musicians Jadadi says, “Give it all you got! Make yourself heard. Because there’s people out there that can help you.”

For more information on the Nipper Tabagee Scholarship contact KRED Enterprises on 91 92 8782.

ICRG delivering real employment outcomes for our mob

KRED Enterprises is proud of its joint venture with the Indigenous Construction Resource Group (ICRG). ICRG have delivered 100% Aboriginal employment on construction at Valhalla and an average of 75% Aboriginal employment on all other contracting jobs with Buru Energy. Employees, many from Noonkanbah and Derby, have been involved as civil works operators, in site preparation and have worked on bunding around dams. ICRG have been a fantastic mob to work with and we look forward to an ongoing positive relationship in the future.

KRED lobbying for global benchmarks at United Nations

KRED Enterprises CEO Wayne Bergmann and CEO of the Kimberley Land Council Nolan Hunter are set to jet to New York to speak at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

In a joint presentation, they’ll lobby for a set of global best practice principals and benchmarks for Indigenous economic development.

Mr Bergmann told ABC Kimberley (29/04/14) that companies can broker different – and potentially less beneficial – commercial deals and agreements with Indigenous people, depending on which country they’re operating in.

“I’m hoping to reinforce an international alliance on benchmarking where we can really talk best practice … In situations where we can’t stop development, we need to make sure it’s done on the best possible terms.”

Through all commercial negotiations, KRED Enterprises references a triple bottom line of people and culture, country and the economy.

With this as a foundation, KRED’s negotiated some of the strongest impact benefit agreements between mining companies and Indigenous people in Australia. Often these agreements go beyond the statutory agreements of governments and ensure any development is designed to meet the highest environmental and cultural standards.

Mr Bergmann says in Australia, Aboriginal people are regularly put in a difficult position.

“We have a resource rich country with an appalling history of mistreatment of Aboriginal people. This puts Aboriginal people in a difficult position. We have a responsibility to look after country, but it’s also crucial we participate in the modern economy.”

Mr Hunter elaborated, telling ABC Kimberley that engagement with companies often provides an uncomfortable tension for Indigenous people.

“The tension (is) between how you engage with economic development without compromising your cultural integrity.”

Mr Bergmann says the solution lies in creating economic opportunities that affirm Aboriginal cultural and social values.

“We want the choice to be able to practice the culture and values of our ancestors and to walk on Wall Street, as part of the mainstream economy,” Mr Bergmann says.

Mr Bergmann and Mr Hunter leave for New York on the 9th of May.

Keep your eyes on our Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram accounts for updates, as we’ll be sharing selfies, conference snaps and speech excerpts.

For more information on the trip, contact Media and Communications Officer Madelaine Dickie at KRED Enterprises (08) 91928782.

KRED donates to keep children’s bellies full

Cooking for 3 kids is generally okay—you might even have a bit left over for lunch the next day. Cooking for 13 kids is starting to get tricky—will you have enough for everyone? Now imagine what it must be like cooking for 300 kids …

Broome-based organisation Feed the Little Children are doing just this. In the space of only two years they’ve gone from preparing 15-20 meals a week, to preparing 300 meals twice a week for children and young people who’d otherwise be going hungry.

The motivation behind Feed the Little Children’s work is that if children have a full belly, they’re less likely to commit crime. Feed the Little Children’s CEO Clint Durham says there’s evidence to suggest many young delinquents commit their first crime because they’re hungry.

“If you don’t have food or glucose then you don’t think properly. You get cranky and you do silly things. Although the program hasn’t been running for long—and although I might be a bit biased— I’ve definitely seen a change in a number of families I’ve been to. The kids look healthier, mum’s not as stressed out and the increased levels of nutrition will help the kids fight things like ear, nose and throat infections,” Mr Durham says.

KRED Enterprises understands that our young people can’t reach their full potential on an empty belly. Our young people have no chance of going on to further study at university, or of becoming active and engaged participants in our communities and economy, if they’re too hungry to pay attention at primary and high school.

We also understand that breaking cycles of poverty and neglect is a community effort—not just one that should be left to the police, or to the schools. It’s about standing together and working together, because collectively we’re more powerful, collectively we have the ability to create real and positive change.

This morning, KRED Enterprises handed over a cheque for $1,580, making good on our promise to match dollar for dollar donations received by Anthony Watson for the OzHarvest/Qantas CEO Cookoff back in March.

Anthony Watson, as Chairperson of KRED and Chairperson and founder of the Yirriman Project, is adamant that community organisations like Feed the Little Children receive continued community, government and corporate support to ensure their longevity.

“We see programs come and then disappear when the funding is cut. We would like to see more community-run organisations, tailored particularly to our community needs, receive the support they need to keep helping our young people.”

It’s an issue close to Anthony’s heart, particularly with the future of the Yirriman Project uncertain. Although the men’s program will continue in 2015, funding for the women’s program is yet to be secured.

If you would like to find out more information, either about KRED’s support for Feed the Little Children through the OzHarvest/Qantas CEO Cookoff, or would like to speak with Anthony about the Yiriman Project, please call KRED Enterprises on 91928782.

Mining update: fracking

Buru Energy is continuing exploration and development of the Canning Basin. They’re interested in further testing and exploring for gas at two sites—Yulleroo and Valhalla, where there are four existing wells.

The gas they’re keen to test is buried between 2-4km below the ground. It’s known as ‘unconventional gas’ because it’s locked tight within the rock. To get to it, Buru needs to use a process called fracking or hydraulic fracturing. Fracking could potentially pose a risk to Country and a risk to human health.

Here’s how it works: a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is pumped down into the well and shoots out through holes in the well wall and into the rock. The sand in the mixture causes tiny cracks in the rock and this is how the gas is unlocked and released.

One worry, is that although the fracking at Yulleroo and Valhalla will be 2-4km underground, the process might poison our drinking water, which is 20-500m from the surface.

Buru Energysay fracking is a safe process and that the technique has been perfected by operators and thoroughly assessed by independent scientists and analysts. They say the aquifer located under Buru Energy’s sites does not flow into Broome’s water supply, so there is no chance of contamination of the town’s drinking water.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), wrote to Buru saying Buru do not need to have a formal environmental assessment as their tests are ‘unlikely to have a significant effect on the environment.’

APPEA says incidences of water contamination were not from fracking but from problems will wells such as minor leaks.

WA’s Water Corporation says there are potential risks to the public’s drinking water from fracking.

WA’s Government says the protection of water resources is it’s highest priority and all chemicals used in a well must be approved.

The National Toxics Network says the group of chemicals Buru will use in fracking are toxic, with some known to cause birth defects in animals.

The Australian Council of Learned Academies says there have been no cases internationally where fracking has accidently hit a water source and caused contamination.

The Conservation Council of WA says fracking has the potential to cause permanent damage to WA’s environment, ecosystems and natural and cultural heritage.

We believe there should be no fracking on our members’ Country without our consent. KRED are currently in the process of assembling an expert panel to offer independent advice on Buru’s suggested environmental modeling. While there is currently no fracking on our members’ Country, it is likely there will be in the future, and the data that Buru collects from these first tests at Yulleroo and Valhalla will form the baseline data for all other fracking experiments. Culturally, our Dreamtime stories connect underground water from Jaru right through to the west Kimberley coast. A large part of the west Kimberley is also on the National Heritage List, for its ‘rich and dynamic Aboriginal culture’, its ‘biological richness’, and its ‘geological and fossil evidence of Australia’s evolutionary history’. We want to ensure we have in place the most rigorous environmental assessment possible so our Country is protected. We act on the direction of our members: the Traditional Owners in the Kimberley.