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ADCQ Annual Report 2007–08Community Relations
OverviewCommunity relations work incorporates training development and delivery, project management, publications, community engagement,Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outreach and website development and maintenance. 
Highlights for 2007-08 included
MarketingThis year, the Commission introduced a range of marketing and advertising strategies to increase awareness of our work. These include:
Fairness - Everyone's Business
The package has been designed for the inhouse trainer, but can be accompanied by a full day's training for those who wish to use it. As part of the marketing strategy, a promotional CD-ROM was also produced and sent to potential purchasers. To date, more than 70 copies of the product have been sold, and more than 30 individual trainers have attended the familiarisation session with the Commission. Development of this product, the first of its kind in Australia, has proven to be a strategic and timely response to training demand.
Specific client groupsAs a result of both targeted and ongoing general training, opportunities are becoming available to work with specialised groups. Over this fi nancial year, three distinct client pools have emerged - the purchasers of Fairness - Everyone's Business, community organisations, and Contact Officers. Because of increasing demand from community organisations for training in discrimination law, extra sessions have been scheduled. All have been fully booked, and we now have more than 100 individual organisations which have undertaken training with us over the last year. Contact Officer training has been part of our core business for many years, and we are 'growing' an ever-increasing pool of trained Contact Officers who may benefit from further training or networking opportunities. Purchasers of Fairness - Everyone's Business now form a large pool of potential clients. Currently, we are undertaking a survey of users and a review, update and expansion of the materials. In the coming year, we intend to focus on these three groups with a view to providing further training or support.
Community engagementOur engagement with community agencies and involvement in events is on the increase. This year, we participated in the following:
In addition, on more than 150 occasions, staff visited community agencies, attended graduations, launches, awards presentations, festivals and open days, participated in international days and conducted liaison sessions within specific communities. Almost half of these networking functions (about 65) involved Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, but others included multicultural communities, disability agencies, employment organisations and local community groups.
Advisory CommitteesThe Commission continues to provide support for its fi ve advisory committees, the membership of which is largely drawn from the community. The committees: lgbti (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex) disability, advocates, unions and youth, meet twice a year with the Commissioner to exchange views and to keep each other up to date on current issues. This year, the Committees have participated in a number of consultations and reviews initiated by the newly elected federal government. The committees continue to provide 'grass-roots' contact and engagement with communities in a way that nothing else can.
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Unit
Photo caption: Members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit The Unit has focussed on two main issues this year; maintaining contact within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and finalising the development of the Tracking Your Rights training and information package. As mentioned above, visits were made to 65 agencies throughout Queensland, during 2007-08. Organisations included community legal services, housing providers, schools and tertiary institutions, youth services and health agencies. One of the most important trips was to Palm Island, where staff met with Council, the justice group and separately with men's and women's agencies. A great deal of effort has gone into finalising the Tracking Your Rights package. By June 2008, the training component had been completed and delivered in a number of agencies, while the information sheets are well on the way, and should be up on the website early in the next financial year. Staff also developed a range of scenarios for broadcast on 4AAA, an Indigenous radio station based in Brisbane. The scripts were recorded and aired for a month to a wide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audience. Other highlights for the Unit included:
Library resources and websiteDuring 2007-08, library software was upgraded to provide online access through the Commission intranet to catalogues, decisions, non-print resources and online subscriptions. As a result, we now enjoy a more effi cient use of resources and can engage in better quality research. WebsiteThe Commission's website provides basic information in 24 community languages. Session numbers continue to increase.
The Commission's website provides basic information in 24 community languages.
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