Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Housing

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Deputy Chief Executive

Aboriginal Housing Office

I was born in Sydney and was raised at La Perouse. Ivan is one of 11 children.

His mother, her family and extended family belong to the Yuin Tribe on the Far South Coast of NSW and she was born at Batemans Bay and was raised at Tilba Tilba and Wallaga Lake. His father belongs to the Worimi clan on the North Coast of NSW and was born and raised on the Aboriginal Village at Foster.

Ivan was educated at La Perouse Public School and Matraville High School having achieved the Intermediate Certificate in Third Form, as it was known then. He left school in 1965 and started work at the then NSW Department of Motor Transport. I was employed with them for about 18 months and then worked in various labouring positions for approximately 13 years.

He decided to take a new direction with his employment and commenced work with Aboriginal Hostels Limited (AHL) in 1980 as a Trainee Asset Officer employed under the old NEAT/NESA Training for Aborigines Scheme. He was employed with that organisation for over 10 years having aspired to the most senior position in NSW as the Regional Manager.

He left AHL in late 1990 and returned to the NSW Public Service and have worked in various agencies such as the Department of Community Services, the Office of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Housing, the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and is now back employed with the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office as Deputy Chief Executive.

He was involved in major reform of Public and Aboriginal Housing during the 1990’s. This reform culminated in the establishment of the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office in July 1998.

He was presented with the Public Service Medal in the 1998 as part of the Australia Day Awards for involvement in the administration and development in Aboriginal Housing.

He is committed to improving the living circumstances and general health and well being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. He is also involved with the Kirinari Secondary Student Hostels located at Sylvania Heights as the President of the Aboriginal Children’s Advancement and until recently was the Chairperson of the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council.

Speaking On:
Reform agenda for Aboriginal housing in NSW & strategies to enhance the sustainability of tenancies

Karen Walsh

General Manager, Housing Services and Renewal

St George Community Housing Ltd

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Karen Walsh joined St. George Community Housing Limited (SGCH) as General Manager, Housing Services and Renewal in 2010, a period of major growth in the sector and has key responsibilities for the delivery of social and affordable housing strategy, policy and delivery, community regeneration, as well as tenancy management and rehousing as in the Bonnyrigg Public Private Partnership.

Karen’s career includes Senior roles in the NSW public service at Community Services, the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office and Housing NSW leading strategic policy and reform; partnerships and contracting; community regeneration; performance management and regulation and service improvement.

Karen is a qualified social worker and holds two Masters Degrees in Social Policy and in Public Administration. Karen’s career highlights include: leading service system reform of specialist homelessness services in western Sydney; developing capacity building and partnership projects with the Aboriginal community in western Sydney; leading sector reform at the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office and project managing the development of the Sydney

Common Ground Project; and recently at SGCH leading teams to achieve targets for tenanting almost 1200 new properties under the Social Housing Initiative, resulting in long term housing for 1,600 people of which 175 are Indigenous. Karen is a Director on the Boards of Newtown Neighbourhood Centre and Shelter NSW and is an advocate for social justice, and change and is committed to ending homelessness through social inclusion.

Speaking On:
Increasing opportunities & pathways through social & affordable housing

Melanie Jones

Co-ordinator Housing Management, Aboriginal Housing Services

Department of Housing, WA

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Melanie has been working in social housing field for over ten years in both the UK and Australia. Her experience includes public housing management, particularly in a regional environment. More recently Melanie has been working in Aboriginal Housing Services (AHS) where she has undertaken a number of roles. Melanie has been responsible for managing the Contract Services Team, where her key objective was moving to a relationship driven contract management approach, in line with the State Government’s Funding Community Services in Partnership Policy. Over the last 18 months, Melanie has been responsible for leading a broad change management project, with the objective of meeting the agreed NPARIH outcome of introducing a “public housing like” property and tenancy management framework to Aboriginal Communities. Melanie is now heading up the Department of Housing’s AHS Business Improvement Team who manage all phases of the continuous improvement lifecycle across the delivery of housing management services, including policy & practice development, implementation & training, and measurement and review.

Speaking On:
How Change Management principles can support sustainable tenancies in remote Aboriginal communities

Dan Laws

Statewide Aboriginal Homelessness Network Co-ordinator

Ngwala Willumbong Co-op Ltd

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Daniel Laws is proud to have been born on the traditional lands of the Yorta Yorta people at Cummeragunja, on the New South Wales side of the Dhungala (Murray River). The strength of his culture has lead to his professional achievements, with particular focus on responses to the disproportionately high representation of Aboriginal people who are exposed to homelessness.

Daniel began his career within his community as the Aboriginal Liaison officer at Centrelink for several years and later accepted a position at Ngwala Willumbong Co-Operative. His early career was in Drug and Alcohol and soon after, Housing Support. During this time he noted a lack of Culturally appropriate services, practise and responses for Aboriginal community and endeavoured to address this topic in mainstream circles. The aim being to gain Autonomous Aboriginal housing programs, to provide greater options to Aboriginal community, to educate mainstream services on culturally safe practise, and highlight the need for Aboriginal housing.

During this time Daniel sat on the Board of Directors for Homelessness Australia, represented his community on ATAR reference groups across the state, Local Area Service Networks, and various Aboriginal Network Groups. Daniel has initiated strong relationships between Federal and State housing sectors and the Aboriginal community.

Currently Daniel is the Victorian Aboriginal Statewide homelessness Network coordinator and the manager of the housing programs within Ngwala Willumbong Co-Operative.

Speaking On:
Improving tenancy management, engagement & early intervention

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Supporting tenants & providing choice

This conference provides a space to share stories and hear how others are improving housing across Australia’s urban, regional and remote communities.

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