An “informal” meeting at Boggabilla last week began with Toomelah community members airing concerns about a water pump which had left Toomelah without bore water for four days.

Residents lived off tank, bottled and trucked in bore water.

“We’ve had no progress since the Einfeld Inquiry (in 1987) with economic development and education. What other community in this country has no water?” asked Toomelah health worker Glenys McGrady.

“We want to know what’s going on?”

The Commission led by Justice James Wood is investigating the Department of Community Services and the issue of child protection.

The Commission was begun before allegations were made two months ago concerning truck-drivers giving food, cigarettes and drugs to Boggabilla and Moree teenage girls, some as young as 12, in exchange for sex.

More than 40 people including NSW Department of Community Service workers, police, community health nurses and Aboriginal women came to the Boggabilla meeting which followed on from a closed meeting in Boggabilla on Tuesday.

Justice Wood was told of alleged cases where students had been abused by older children at Toomelah.

NSW Education Department regional director, Des Gorman, told ABC radio on Thursday both schools had strategies in place to deal with abusive behaviour. He said there had been no such cases at Boggabilla School.

Mr Gorman said students are also given regular lessons on child protection issues.

Boggabilla and Toomelah residents believe a one-stop government service shop could provide a partial solution to the many issues confronting both communities.

“There are so many different services, but no one is communicating with each other,” Boggabilla resident Judy Knox said. Residents said a major concern was that there was a code of silence within the communities that left women and children open to abuse.

“People think you can get away with anything in these towns (Boggabilla and Toomelah),” Glenys McGrady said.

Justice Wood said the forum, held at the Boggabilla Town and Country Club, “was designed to be informal.” “It’s a chance for the community to talk about which programs were working, what could be done to improve them and what was still needed,” Justice Wood said.

Elder Madeleine McGrady welcomed everyone on behalf of the Gamilaraay people said she hoped there would “be some good results to come out of the inquiry”.

“We’ve got a lot on our minds,” she said.

The first matter raised was the broken pump on the bore at Toomelah. Assurances were made that Moree Plains Shire Council would have a new pump in action by Friday.

“This is how it works. They always start off talking about the water at these things, then they’ll get to the other stuff,” said one Aboriginal woman who did not want to be named.

With the exception of a few, including Elders Madeleine McGrady and Judy Knox, most of the women were reluctant to take the microphone and speak.

Ms McGrady became frustrated, saying, “Come on you fellas, don’t be shy, this is your chance. Jump up and have your say. There’s no good talking about it among yourselves when they’re gone.”

“Women in this community have been crying out for help,” she said.

“If they don’t get help, it just comes out later in criminal activities and with mental health problems.

“We need funds and support to bring women together. We need counsellors. We need people to go to the families, to go to the homes,” she said.

Ms McGrady said people felt intimidated by the government departments trying to offer this assistance.

“If outside agencies get people offside, it sets the whole process back months,” she said.

Judy Knox said the solution was to train “community people” to work in these roles.

“We have to employ women who they trust and know,” she said.

“There are people with the skills in the community, but they need to be trained. People want to do TAFE courses in trauma counselling, but we can’t get the teachers,” said Judy Knox, who has a PhD in counselling.

Women’s Groups had been established and were having a positive impact on breaking the silence about domestic violence and child abuse according to Kerry Sampson.

“The women’s groups are letting things out, just among the women.

“ It’s not just pointing at people and blaming. There are strong women in this community, taking a lead. But the people who really need help are not being reached. We need more funding,” she said.

The need for a “one-stop shop” of government services was strongly expressed. This would see Health, Police, counselling and DoCS services all under the one roof.

“There are so many different services, but no one is communicating with each other,” said Judy Knox.

“There needs to be a private place where people can go and talk to these agencies. I know of one boy who was going to disclose to DoCS and a group of teenage boys just came and stood round his house and stared him out,” Glenys McGrady said.

At this point DoCS workers, nurses, police and media were asked to leave the room and women from the community were invited to share their stories. There was a mixed response to the meeting with some questioning its success while others said it was a valuable step towards better interagency cooperation.

The last word goes to Maxine McGrady.

“I’ve been to 200 of these meetings, and I’ll probably go to 200 more. I don’t think much will change.” The Commission is due to report back to the New South Wales Government by the end of September.