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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

The Australian Government acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the Elders past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.

New employees delivering quality service at Lily Lagoon

New employees, like Mirrawong Gajerrong man, Matthias Canyon are contributing to the success of Aboriginal owned and operated Lily Lagoon resort.

Mirrawong Gajerrong man, Matthias Canyon from Kununurra in Western Australia has settled into the routine of his new role working for one of the few Aboriginal owned and operated resorts in the Kimberley region, Lily Lagoon Resort.

I’ve been working here at Lily Lagoon for about 4 months. My days usually consist of coming in the morning doing the bin runs, doing the pool, go through all the pool tests and everything and then do the sprinklers.

Mathias is employed in one of 17 new funded jobs as part of the New Jobs Program Trial, run by the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

Located just outside Kununurra in Western Australia, Lily Lagoon Resort is run by the Wunan Foundation, and provides accommodation, caravan and camping sites, and a restaurant for guests on the banks of Lily Creek Lagoon.

When asked what he thinks about getting into a job, Matthias says: “Don’t let anyone say or do anything that will make you feel bad about yourself or anything that you can do.

Don’t listen to anyone if they’re going to have anything negative to say. Only think about the positives.

The new roles are helping the resort keep up with demand, and include food and beverage attendants, kitchen hands, guest services agents, maintenance officers, and security.

To help support the new employees, the Wunan Foundation is working with Job Pathways, who are the CDP provider for the region and a key strategic partner on the project. They have also been onboarded with the help of TourismWA under the Jina Plan, providing access to several accredited training programs and specialised culinary classes.

Wunan Foundation CEO Prue Jenkins says, “We are delighted to welcome these individuals and introduce them to the world of hospitality and tourism at Lily Lagoon Resort.

With the support structures we have in place, we are confident we can provide a smooth transition to work and create a unique tourism experience that actively addresses the underrepresentation of Aboriginal people in the tourism and hospitality sector.

The New Jobs Program Trial is helping to inform the design of the new Remote Jobs and Economic Development (RJED) program. which will help fund new jobs in remote communities. Find out more: www.niaa.gov.au/remote-jobs

Find more information at: www.niaa.gov.au/remote-jobs