Council Stores

Lockhart River Aboriginal Council’s stores supply not only Council and visiting tradespeople, but community members.

Unknown to many community members, the store’s shelves are packed to the roof with a huge range of products at very reasonable prices.

Working in the community for a total of 5 years, Manager Matty Redman has seen the store expand significantly, and says it is the lifeline of Lockhart River Aboriginal Council:

“We keep everything going, all works progressing, supplying building services, plumbing and carpentry, and contractors. Stocks include everything needed to build and maintain our community.

“Every effort is made to stock products that have proved popular or vital over time, for instance, tourists frequently present with vehicle or trailer problems, so we try to maintain a good stock of such things as bearings, but the Stores team do of course refer them to the workshop.

It is hoped eventually to open an auto section in the Stores Department to sell coolants, oils, tyres and so on.

“We’re a one stop shop and we’re keen to know what community members would like to see on our shelves. If there is enough demand, we’ll certainly act on making those products available,” says Matty.

These days, Stores also collects and delivers all the freight arriving on the Seaswift barge for the Council, delivering two truckloads to the shop every week, also collecting all the ‘Ma and Pa’ freight, which is brought up to the community. This has greatly reduced the preponderance of rubbish that used to accumulate down near the water when the goods were left on the wharf and unpacked there, all of which pollutes our waterways and endangers our native animals.

“We want to see more young community members get involved. We’re more than happy to supply the training that will provide skills for the future.  The aim is to see these Stores work for the community and ultimately run by the community.

There’s plenty of future business opportunity attached to establishing a career path starting in the Stores.”

Supervisor of Council Stores