Closing the gap in Lajamanu

Out in the Warlpiri lands of Lajamanu, 550 kilometres south of Katherine, Lamun Tasman is doing his bit to close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage.

A Warlpiri man who is the Australian Government’s Indigenous Engagement Officer (IEO) in Lajamanu, Lamun said: “It’s everyone’s job to help close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia and we need everybody to get on board to make it happen.”

IEOs work with the community to ensure they get the best outcomes from Australian Government services and programmes, and Lamun sees his role as vital in ensuring Lajamanu residents reach their full potential and contribute to closing the gap themselves.

“Getting locals into jobs and kids into school so they can succeed in life is my priority, so a lot of my time is spent talking to community members about Government policies and strategies and getting their feedback,” Lamun said.

“We hold regular community meetings to discuss important or controversial issues, but some locals don’t like to attend as the meetings can get very heated, so I usually talk to them in private.

“Many community members also like to think about the issues before making any decisions so I leave them alone for a while before returning to talk with them further,” he said.

Lamun also plays Australian Rules football for Lajamanu’s team, the Northern Warlpiri Swans, and most of his spare time is spent pumping weights at the school gym or running or walking around the community to keep fit.

“I’m regularly stopped by locals wanting to talk to me about different government programmes or how the Swans are going, so it’s a good way to hear what the community thinks,” Lamun said.

In the future, Lamun hopes to continue his work in other roles contributing to closing the gap but for now, he’s dedicated to Lajamanu’s future.

“We all want our community to grow and be a place where everyone is healthy and working or going to school. If we can do that, we’ll see that gap start to close,” Lamun said.