OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE FROM PETER YU
Protecting our community during the Covid-19 Pandemic
24 March 2020
Ngaji gurrjin,
As at COB today, NBY offices have officially closed for two (2) weeks and NBY Executive will monitor and reassess this necessity after this period. We are working hard to transition a majority of staff to working from home arrangements. If you are trying to contact a staff member, please contact the individuals via phone or email. Our reception desk will not be manned during this period.
The current global Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic is having a massive impact on all our daily lives, business and relationships. We are responding to the official health advice to ensure all our staff are supported and have the ability to continue to work under these strained circumstances. We don’t want to lose staff or capacity and are doing all we can to maintain our activity at the highest levels.
We are also supporting our Yawuru community and our some of our team have been made care packages with fresh healthy food, bush medicine, hygiene products and information on Covid-19. These packs are being delivered to our elderly and vulnerable community members and we will continue to deliver fresh fish and maintain these important cultural duties and connections for the foreseeable future.
NBY’s plans for 2020, including many of our programs and development projects, have been severely impacted on a daily basis, as I’m sure you’ve all experienced in your own lives and work. Like everywhere in the world, we are re-assessing our delivery, however we will continue to support our community and will be still working on our business development and other projects from our home offices.
Today I put out a media release calling for the State and Federal governments to financially support Indigenous communities and organisations with a rescue package so that they can continue to be viable, reducing hardship and providing a well-supported haven for community members. We will continue to advocate for special measures to ensure our communities do not suffer adverse effects in health, connection, culture or development opportunity.
When this crisis is over, we will all have to work hard to regain lost ground, to re-employ people and to recover lost opportunities. In the meantime, stay safe and stay at home, look after your families and look to the future.
Galiya,
Peter Yu