Indigenous Governance Awards winner – WuChopperen Health Service, Queensland

The following information has been adapted from the Reconciliation Australia website

The WuChopperen Health Service has won a major award at the 2006 Indigenous Governance Awards, announced 31 August 2006 in Melbourne. These awards recognise and reward excellence in governance in Indigenous organisations. The awards drew a field of 47 applicants and there were eight finalists across a range of categories. WuChopperen won the category for organisations established for more than 10 years. The chair of the awards committee, Professor Mick Dodson, said that the common theme shown by all eight finalists was the ‘vision, commitment and capacity to deliver’ and that ‘all these factors are directly connected to leadership’.

WuChopperen Health Service was formed in Cairns in 1979 as an essential health care service provider, its services include specialist clinics and chronic disease management, oral health, and social health and wellbeing. It also oversees the establishment of medical services and clinics in remote regions.

In selecting WuChopperen as the winner, the panel of judges (including both Indigenous and non-Indigenous representatives) identified the following areas as reflecting excellence in governance within the organisation:

• Continuous improvement ethos and effective processes to identify and implement change.
• Innovative and creative approaches by staff are supported and encouraged.
• Good processes for communicating views and decisions.
• Stakeholders endorsed the quality of the organisation and its role as a leader and model in a range of areas.
• WuChopperen has a focus on generational change and effective actions to achieve it.

• For further information:
  • 2006 Indigenous Governance Awards
    View web page (HTML)
  • Reconciliation Australia
    View website
• Contact details:
  • Rowena Withers, Project Coordinator, email: igawards@reconciliation.org.au, ph: (02) 6273 9200, fax: (02) 6273 9201