Coen's population is
around 300 in the Dry season and more in the Wet, as people come in
from Outstations or Homelands. Indigenous people make up over 80% of
this number, composed of members of several language groups from the
surrounding region. The non-indigenous population runs the local business
enterprises and staffs
essential services, a few indigenous persons excepted. By and large
there are no employment opportunities for most of the indigenous people,
but efforts are being made to remedy this.
The founding and growth of Coen is described here,
and the difficulties confronting the indigenous population are touched
on in this page.
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The Coen Regional Aboriginal Corporation (CRAC , incorporated
1993 ) provides services to the indigenous community including the Homelands
as well as the townspeople as a whole. It has initiated and supports
a number of projects and enterprises in the town. There is an elected
Board of Directors among whom are indigenous elders. CRAC administers
the Community Development Employment Program (CDEP) and thus is the
major employer of casual labour, besides generating employment and training
through its business enterprises. Coen Business Enterprises are
described on another page.
Some of the community programs supported by CRAC are detailed
here.
CRAC does not provide Municipal Council services such
as water, sewage, waste removal and local laws which are the responsibility
of Cook Shire Council based in Cooktown, 400 km away.
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