Perth Airport's NAIDOC Week Celebrations

07 July, 2017

Perth Airport celebrated NAIDOC Week 2017, with a range of performances and activities for travellers, visitors and staff to recognise and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements.

Perth Airport’s Chief Corporate Services Officer, Debra Blaskett said Perth Airport is committed to engaging with the local Aboriginal community to recognise the strong connections with the airport estate.

“The land on which the airport operates forms part of the traditional network of communication routes, meeting places and camping sites of the Noongar people and we are proud to recognise this rich cultural heritage,” said Ms Blaskett.

“We have a Partnership Agreement with the Traditional Owners of the land as well as with the broader Noongar community, which provides the foundation for us to discuss airport planning and issues of cultural significance.

“We value our relationship with the local community and actively seek opportunities to be involved in a range of community initiatives, particularly those with an Indigenous focus,” said Ms Blaskett.

For the past seven years, Perth Airport has provided scholarships to the value of $15,000 to support Indigenous students during their three years of tertiary studies at Edith Cowan University (ECU).

“Our partnership with ECU is very productive and it was fantastic awarding the scholarships to Aboriginal students who have often had to overcome a range of obstacles to achieve a university place,” said Ms Blaskett.

Allison Stephens, Acting Manager, Office of Development at ECU said “Since 2010, the Perth Airport Aboriginal Scholarship program has supported 14 students studying a variety of disciplines at Edith Cowan University.”

“This year, our two scholarships recipients will embark upon studies in Youth Work and Counselling respectively, and we look forward to working in partnership with Perth Airport to continue this successful program.”

“We see every day the incredible impact that scholarships have on our student experiences thanks to the generosity of individuals and organisations like Perth Airport,” said Ms Stephens.

Perth Airport works closely with the local Aboriginal community through a number of initiatives including:

Belmont Business Enterprise Centre’s Small Business Awards, Indigenous Business of the Year Category
Department of Aboriginal Affairs’ Street Banner Project for Reconciliation Week
WA Symphony Orchestra’s Harmony Music Program at Moorditj Community College

This year, NAIDOC Week ran from Sunday 2 to Sunday 9 July with the theme Our Languages Matter:

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Corporate Affairs
Perth Airport
P: +61 8 9478 8877 (24 hour Media Line)
E: [email protected]