CLC DELEGATES – REGION 3
Northwest
Juanita Rogers
Ms Rogers has been a director of the Mistake Creek Cattle Company since 2014 and is a director of the Brumby Plains Aboriginal Corporation. Undertook ‘grazing for profit’ training since 2016 and wants to learn about governance.
“I live on a small remote community on my country, Bamboo Springs, looking after my family. My mum inspired me to stand for the CLC. I w ant to better our communities and speak up for better services and infrastructure on outstations.”
Jessie Cook
“I used to look after Mistake Creek Station with my partner. We cleaned it up.
I am proud to be a CLC delegate for my region. This is my second time on this council. My father used to come for meetings, and he inspired me to stand.”
Dianne King
Director of the Daguragu Ngumar Aboriginal Corporation since 1989.
“I will try my best to push for the store-office and bigger lights for the oval at my community.”
Leah Leaman
CLC delegate since 2018. Works with Territory Families as a remote family support officer. Grew up in Daguragu and attended Yirara College in Alice Springs.
“The history of Gurindji people and the old people inspired me to stand for the CLC. My grandfathers were the original people of the Central Land Council in the early to 70 and it was the voice of the people, to get their plight out there, get the government to listen.”
She wants the council to keep holding governments accountable for services to Aboriginal people.
“One of the big challenges is to help them to understand. They don’t understand because they don’t live [in our communities]. And now the rent is going up. How is a grandmother with five or six kids to survive on her own, looking after everyone’s kids?”
An accomplished artist, Ms Leaman paints with the Karungkarni Art and Culture Centre in Kalkaringi and has exhibited overseas. Her painting Follow the waterways won the Delegates’ Choice Award category in the 2021 Vincent Lingiari Art Award.
The painting “tells the story of two very special couples that lived with my family. They followed the waterways by foot all the way from here to the coast. They journeyed with their beloved dogs, billycan, hook spear and a rolled up little calico swag. Never getting lost, they were the last of their kind.”
Timothea Palmer
Details coming.
Sharon Anderson
Ms Anderson is an interpreter, mentor of Yapa childcare workers and a cultural advisor for World Vision’s Unlock Literacy project, where she uses the Warlpiri curriculum. “I’ve been through both ways education. I need to pass on skills I’ve gained.”
She has an advanced diploma in primary school teaching and studies for a bachelor’s degree.
As a trained mediator and interpreter, she helps people in court and in hospital. “When you do mediation, you have to be neutral. That way people will respect you.”
Ms Anderson has been a member of the Warlpiri Education and Training Trust’s advisory committee since 2007. She is a member of Lajamanu’s school council, the Jaru Jinta (stronger communities for children) board and the Granites Mine Affected Area Corporation, as well as the APO NT education steering committee.
She was an intensive family support worker with the Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation and worked for 15 years as a teacher assistant at the Lajamanu school and interpreter/translator at the Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre.
“I’d like to see strong members on the CLC who can speak up and be a strong advocate. I am passionate about education and children. We have lot of challenges ahead of us for council, like government changing policies and kids out of control. We need to find solutions.”
Geoffrey Matthews
Mr Matthews was born on Mount Doreen Station and works as a grader operator for the Wulaign Outstation Resource Centre in Lajamanu, where he is now also the chair.
He has been an Aboriginal community police officer and a liaison officer with the CLC’s anthropology team.
He was a CLC delegate “in the 1980s, when David Ross was the director” and a deputy chair of the local (government) authority of the Central Desert Regional Council.
“I want to support and make my community proud, and make sure its needs are met.”
Mr Matthews wants “to talk strong, keep kids in control in Lajamanu, sitting down with the council to bring up issues to the minister”.
He loves riding his horse.
Cyril Tasman
Mr Tasman is a member of the Central Desert Regional Council and was an engagement officer and community advisor with the National Indigenous Australians Agency between 2008 and 2024.
He is a director of three Aboriginal corporations: Kurdiji, Granites Mine Affected Area and Arnhem Land Progress. He is also a member of the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory.
Mr Tasman has a particular interest in law and justice programs and strong, Yapa-led community organisations.
He is proud of successful projects in Lajamanu, such as the water park, the community mapping, the church, the oval and the ceremony area.