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02 NEWS
THURSDAY 8 JUNE 2023 TORRES NEWS
Getting to The Point on NITV
Cast and crew of NITV’s The Point enjoyed a Waiben perspective when they recorded local discussions around the Voice to Parliament last week. The program went to air on Tuesday night and is available on SBS On Demand.
New ferry deal a boost for getting students to school
Your North Queensland airline connecting the islands of the Torres Strait with Cairns and Bamaga
Students across the Torres Strait will have more ways to get to school and back with a long-term contract signed to provide another ferry service. Department of Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the sevenyear deal between the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Loban Marine was for services between Horn and Thursday Islands. “We know how important getting a good education and students shouldn’t have to go without simply because of where they live,” he said. “The operating environment for school
services in the Torres Strait is unlike anywhere else and we are working with our service providers to deliver safe and comfortable school trips for students.” Member for Cook Cynthia Lui said the new service was a big win for education and would benefit students now and into the future. “Vessel costs and the unique operating environment experienced in the Torres Strait are reflected in the contracts between TMR and our service providers,” she said. “This is enabling our service providers to purchase replacement vessels and introduce them for the community.”
FLY WITH A QUEENSLANDER Language grants open
Applications for the 2023 Indigenous Languages Grants program are open, with grants of up to $10,000 available for initiatives which support the preservation of First Nations languages. Queensland Minister for Treaty and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Leeanne Enoch said a range of cultural activities may be eligible for the grants, including art, drama, music and film projects, Yarning Circles, audio recordings, workshops, signage, books, posters and brochures. Project Team Leader and Cultural Adviser Aunty Ruth Ghee said revitalising the languages of the Torres Strait was one of the important goals of the creative team behind Straight from the Strait – a musical combining traditional dance, language and song with contemporary music to celebrate the legacy of the Torres Strait Island men who left their homes and families to build much of Australia’s railway transport infrastructure. “The 2022 Songlines Tour was conceived so that we could engage with community and local language experts from Meriam Mir and Kala Lagaw to ensure accuracy and authenticity as we learned and performed traditional songs,” she said. “Thanks to the Indigenous Languages Grant, we were also able to professionally record and translate 10 of these songs during the tour, as well as proudly performing for community on Thursday Island. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to preserve this vital cultural legacy in such a meaningful way.” Applications close on Monday 12 June 2023. For information, including how to apply, see www. qld.gov.au/ilg
