3 April 2014
Aurukun was very proud to announce it has officially opened a business precinct, a community-driven initiative to help build economic opportunities.
The Mayor of Aurukun Shire Council, Derek Walpo said the precinct in the heart of the small town has attracted major tenants such as Rio Tinto and the Department of Public Housing and Works, and community organization APN, which signals confidence in our future.
“Until now most services such as the bank and the post office were all based at the Council office. These facilities are now part of the Aurukun Business Precinct.
“It is good to have the capacity to offer professional offices for important tenants such as Rio Tinto, APN and Bendigo Bank,” said Cr Walpo.
“Before now, our town of 1400 people had one grocery store and a small takeaway outlet that opened limited hours only on week days. We now have new food services seven days a week,” Cr Walpo said.
In addition to the professional offices, the Business Precinct is home to a bakery, café, light retail, and Laundromat.
“It has created approximately 20 jobs, and new locally owned and operated enterprise,” the Mayor said.
“This is a small step towards our strategy to create a better lifestyle for Aurukun people, and to provide the infrastructure needed to build our economic base.
“We have an enormously talented cultural art community, world-class fishing, and strong Wik families working on a range of new enterprises out on country.
“The new business precinct provides the facilities our town needs to get ahead.
“The building has been named after the late Sam Kerindun Snr, a much loved community Elder, who had built his family home on the precinct site in the 1930s. He had an excellent vegetable garden on the site where the old general store was located.
“His family Cr Edgar Kerindun, Deputy Mayor Angus Kerindun, Maryanne Kerindun and former Councillor Tony Kerindun participated in the opening ceremony.” Other distinguished guests included David Edwards the Government Champion for Aurukun and also the State Manager of the Commonwealth’s Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Darren Hooper.”
“We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Australian Government for its $3m contribution through the Indigenous Coordination Centre and the Queensland Government for $1.45m, through the Department of Local Government, Community Recovery and Resilience, towards funding this initiative,” Mayor Walpo concluded.
