Jim Remedio is a proud Torres Strait Islander man and a well-respected Elder with a lifelong dedication to developing, sharing and promoting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, culture and knowledge through the media.
Jim is an important voice not only for First Nations peoples but Australia at large…an extraordinary leader for community. Jim is my special guest this morning after 8.30am to yarn over the resent Victorian Parliament Passing of its….Historic Treaty Legislation.
The first independent umpire in Australia to oversee Treaty negotiations will be created following a historic vote in the Victorian Parliament today to concede some of the State’s power.
(CAAMA photo PW image)
The agreement reached between the First Peoples’ Assembly and the Government of Victoria in June establishes the Treaty Authority outside of the usual state bureaucracy – it won’t report to a Minister, its funding is insulated from the whims of political cycles, and it will be led entirely by First Peoples.
In the coming months the Assembly and the Victorian Government will seek to reach agreement about the ‘Treaty Negotiation Framework’ which will set the ground-rules and process for Treaty negotiations. Talks are also underway about a ‘Self Determination Fund’ that will ensure Traditional Owners can enter negotiations on a more level playing field and First Peoples communities can create wealth and prosperity for future generations.
Jim has over 35 years’ experience in community and national radio media networks throughout Australia. Jim became involved with Local Community Radio in Bendigo and quickly saw the potential of this medium to give a voice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Jim has been instrumental in the production and delivery of Indigenous Radio across the country.
He has highlighted the land rights movement and human rights as well as connecting, informing and inspiring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through news, current affairs, community information, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music to a larger national audience.
In addition, Jim was working at the same time in Bendigo as a Cultural Officer for the Dja Dja Wurrung Association and later became its Manager. His work as a Cultural Officer assisted with the return of Aboriginal remains back to Country. At that time, Jim’s daughter Teresa Remedio was a producer at the ABC and helped the local group setup the license and help with programming. This was instrumental in establishing the South Eastern Indigenous Media Association.
Jim became a broadcaster on the then 3CCC Colours Aboriginal Music show in Bendigo. Jim was a founding member of the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, the original Board of the National Indigenous Television network (NITV), and he has become a Community Broadcasting Foundation Grants Committee member for over twelve years.
Jim has been the Chairperson of many Indigenous Broadcasting peak bodies, including National Indigenous Media Association Australia. He also managed the establishment of the National Indigenous Radio Service and Remote Indigenous Media Services. His life and work experience has provided Indigenous media across Australia, with management and strategic media development.
Jim has held a wide range of roles in the struggle for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights and development. He was engaged by the Victorian Trades Hall Council to work on the Commonwealth’s Working Nation Employment and Training Strategy.
Jim served on the Museum of Victoria’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, became an Inspector under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protection Act Part 2. He also was closely involved in setting up Aboriginal Community Justice Panels in Victoria.
As an experienced consultant, Jim was approached by the University of New South Wales’ Faculty of Law, as a Trainer for their Diplomacy Training Program and the Fred Hollows Foundation’s Indigenous Peoples, Human Rights and Advocacy Training program for advocates. He was also engaged by Vision Stream and Telstra to provide land access agreements for rollout of broadband networks across Australia, which required extensive negotiation with Traditional Owner groups. In addition, he was Vice President Oceania for the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) a United Nations sponsored international community radio group that provided training for Indigenous Radio broadcasters in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.
In the 2000s, Jim moved into management of Indigenous Radio Stations, beginning with two years at Radio Larrakia in Darwin, followed by two at Yamatji Media in Carnarvon (Western Australia). Recruited because of his strong management reputation, Jim then moved to Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) Radio Alice Springs where, over seven years, he oversaw the growth of the station’s investment in technology and training to lift capacity and productivity, making CAAMA one of the premier radio stations in Australia.
In 2000, Jim was awarded the Centenary Medal for Services to the Community.
In 2015, he took on the management of Melbourne Indigenous station Kool N Deadly (3KND), Melbourne’s first Indigenous owned and managed AM radio station. Jim brings a wealth of industry and governance experience with him. He has worked to develop a regional network to increase its sustainability, capacity and impact to reach a Victorian-wide audience and continues to support many other radio stations, including Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM).
Jim is the current CEO of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) in Alice Springs.