Larrakia Country, Northern Territory. 21 February, 2025.
It seems that persistence and patience are essential for opening an Australian bank account at least in the case of opening a business bank account for the Djäkamirr Co-op Ltd.
The 100% Yolŋu owned Djäkamirr Co-op Ltd is a decolonising business structure to support djäkamirr service delivery. The purpose of the Co-op is goŋgayun ga ŋayaŋua rur’maram yothumirriny miyalknha- supporting, nurturing and uplifting pregnant women. You can learn more about why the Co-op model is required in our previous blog.
Photo credit: Pat Josse. Djäkamirr Co-op Ltd logo
Our story of opening the bank account is one persistence and patience:
December 2024
Enquires are commenced with one of the big four banks in Australia. They are stumbled by the concept of a Co-operative and kept mishearing 'corporation...oh sorry you mean company account?’ With some advocacy the narrative is corrected and there is confirmation that a Co-operative can open a bank account.
Next obstacle: To open an account the bank requires Yolŋu Directors who live in Galiwin'ku to attend a branch in person to verify identification (ID) documents and sign paperwork.
Obviously a return day trip by charter plane to Darwin or Gove for three people to open a bank account seems an unreasonable request. Days pass with multiple enquires to the Call Centre, being passed from one Bank department to another.
Photo credit: Sarah Ireland. Charter plane.
Digging deep through the labyrinth of Call Center algorithms, its established that Branch Managers can not discriminate against potential customers because of their remote island residency. Instead Branch Managers, have discretionary powers to open a business bank account without in-person branch attendance. The execution of these discretionary powers requires a clear institutional process for certifying identification documents from the island. But there is no clear process.
After another week of phone calls and failed scheduled call backs from the Bank's First Nations Business Centre, the Co-op Directors switch banks.
Enquires are commenced with a smaller values-driven Bank that invests in people and the environment. There is a noticeable difference: they understand the word co-operative and are confident in opening the account without Director in-person attendance. Miraculously all the Co-op Directors have adequate in-date documentation to meet ID requirements and an application is submitted two weeks before Christmas. There is excitement and confidence that the account will be open in the first week of January.
Photo credit: Sh'ana Constable. Co-op directors Professor Elaine Ḻäwurrpa Maypilama and Ms Rosemary Gundjarraŋbuy holding the Co-op registration certificate.
January 2025
A few weeks into January and with no news from the Bank, they are contacted for an update. The bank has sent postal mail correspondence requesting that ID Certifiers complete additional paperwork. We have not received the mail and know that the Galiwin'ku post office has been broken into over the holidays and mail is missing. We find an alternative using digital forms for the ID certifiers to print and complete. The Bank insists they are returned by postal mail.
February 2025
After another few weeks with no follow-up, we contact the bank for an update. The Call Centre staff this time around are not keen on disclosing any information, citing security risks because they can not verify us as customers, despite our enquiry being about becoming a customer.
Sometimes you just have to respect a Call Centre staff member who says no, cut your losses and try your luck with another.
So they are graciously thanked, we hang up and call straight back. This time around we speak with a woman and explain the story of waiting so long for the account to be opened. A suggestion is made that as they are sitting in front of a computer, they might like to watch the DJÄKAMIRR doco trailer and see the important work that the bank account will enable. This seems to adequately nourish our connection and it is revealed that the returned ID Certifier forms can not be located anywhere in the Bank office!
After confirming with Australia Post successful delivery of the ID Certifier forms, a daily phone call campaign is commenced. So many phone calls that the staff are recognisable by the sound of their voices before a name is uttered: some of them will not disclose information to unverified customers, others are encouraged to watch the doco trailer, and a few promise to help.
Campaign Day 5 the ID Certifier forms are found. Horray!
Campaign Day 7 the ID Certifier forms are refereed to the Banks internal Fraud Unit. This is due to concerns over conflict of interest because one of the ID Certifiers is listed as an observer on the Co-op meeting minutes. (These meeting minutes are required in the application to open the bank account). We inform the Call Centre staff that we welcome the extra scrutiny and hope this can assist in fast-tracking the application.
Campaign Day 8 there is contact from the Call Centre Supervisor offering apologies and promises for system improvements. They claim that no further actions or documentation are required and that the Co-op bank account will be open the next business day.
So now after two and half months please join us in celebrating the opening the Djäkamirr Co-op Ltd bank account!!
We would not have succeeded without persistence in pushing things forward, knowing that failure is not an option and finding creative ways to disrupt obstacles. Patience in calmly accepting institutional delays and using them as opportunities for Yolŋu advocacy. By the way have your watched the DJÄKAMIRR doco trailer?!
Learn more with these links
What an amazing effort with such an important result. Well done to everyone! Persistence and patience, but with kindness and gentle composure too, another story to be so proud of.