This year the Australian Army celebrates the 20th anniversary of providing support to remote Indigenous communities through the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Programme (AACAP).
AACAP is a collaborative partnership between the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, which provides up to $6 million per project, and the Australian Army, which contributes personnel and equipment to complete the works.
Commander of the 200 strong contingent working in the Far North Queensland community of Laura, Major Jack Plimmer, said for 20 years AACAP has been an extremely successful programme providing support to Indigenous Australians.
“AACAP has provided benefits to 42 remote Indigenous communities since its inception in 1996,” Major Plimmer said.
“The Australian Army deploys a contingent to each project in order to deliver project management, construction, health, training and mentoring programmes.
“The programme makes the best use of the Army’s construction and community building expertise, to deliver improvements in environmental health and living conditions in remote Indigenous communities.
“At the same time, our members are training people for employment. This has significant long-term benefits for Indigenous communities.
“Since May, the Army contingent has been working to deliver infrastructure, vocational skills training and health care services in Laura.”
Over the last 20 years, AACAP projects have delivered a mix of infrastructure projects including housing, road construction and upgrades, sewerage treatment plants, airfield construction or upgrades, health clinics, telecommunications infrastructure, school upgrades, potable water supply infrastructure, and housing sub divisions.
Media note:
Imagery from AACAP 2016 is available at: http://images.defence.gov.au/S20161524
For more information about AACAP visit:
www.army.gov.au/Our-people/Army-Indigenous-community/Army-Indigenous-initiatives
http://www.defence.gov.au/publications/docs/070416_AACAP.pdf
