King's Birthday honours 2023: Karen Heap

Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative continues to expand and evolve with funding applications under way to build new administrative spaces as new programs and advocacy comes into the mix.

This year alone BADAC has opened its first gallery dedicated to Indigenous art and storytelling while also preparing to open the cooperative's third childcare centre in the region.

BADAC's proactive stance in the COVID-19 pandemic helped position Ballarat with one of the highest vaccination rates for Indigenous communities in the state.

Ms Heap said by moving quick to inform and look after elders helped ensure there had been no Indigenous deaths from COVID-19 in the region.

The highly respected BADAC chief executive officer, who has extensive experience in Indigenous health and social justice, has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the King's Birthday honours.

For Ms Heap, a Yorta Yorta and Barkandji woman, nothing of what she has done has been for personal recognition and the prospect of an AM came as "daunting".

The progress of BADAC is built on community. BADAC was established in 1979 to deliver health, social welfare and community development programs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the wider district.

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Ms Heap said what was unique, and unfortunate, for Ballarat's First Nations peoples was BADAC was formed on the Stolen Generation era - the population is filled with diverse cultures on Wadawurrung Country.

There are now about 4000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the wider Ballarat region.

"I just do my job and that's the way I see it - just doing my best job for the community needs," Ms Heap said. "There is a lot happening at BADAC and hopefully it's for the betterment of the whole community.

"Our growth and being sustainable is important so we don't need to rely on government; we can be making sure it's our own decisions compared with government telling us what we need and being driven by reaching targets."

Ms Heap said crisis support needs on BADAC were increasing, just as on all welfare organisations in the city, with sharply rising living costs. This included the need for crisis housing.

She felt it was a hangover from the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, exacerbating people's struggles.

"We're trying to think of new ways of supporting community," Ms Heap said.

"We're trying to do a bit more but we're also supplying more emergency support."

Ballarat's Indigenous community continues to grow with more people moving from Melbourne to regional Victoria. Some move to Ballarat due to BADAC's reputation for healthcare and Indigenous support and cultural programs. Key to this is promotion, awareness and education.

Perridak Art Gallery, in Mair Street, opened in April as a way to empower First Nations artists both in making money and sharing their storytelling.

For the wider community, this is a way to explore authentic Indigenous art and storytelling from a wide range of Country.

To help guide such a strong First Nations community makes Ms Heap proud.

Humbled, Ms Heap said she was simply "thankful and grateful" for such a prestigious honour as an AM.

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