Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service Limited ANNUAL REPORT 2024/2025 63 Funded by: Federal Dept of Social Services – National Indigenous Australians Agency NSW Health – Rural Doctors Network – Western NSW Primary Health Network Celebrating over 39 years of Service since 1986 7 Building our Aboriginal Community-Controlled sector DEG aims to eventually see services welldesigned to meet the needs of the Walgett Aboriginal community delivered well by placebased Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations. To bring this aspiration to reality we work to support our Walgett ACCO capabilities. We did this during the period by developing training resources, bringing in management, planning, coaching and psychosocial supports, and by working with sister organisations in ACHAA who represents DEG at CAPO, to build the resources and capabilities of the sector. Critically during the period we undertook a renewal of leadership in DEG by onboarding new directors who bring health sector knowledge, deep interests in furthering cultural knowledge and identity and Wayilwan Country attachments. DEG also implemented its plan for succession by promoting three key staff to become the Leadership Team and take on shared responsibility for the ongoing operations and health of our growing company. DEG also worked to improve the ways governments procure services and work with us – including by looking at how governments invest in Walgett and proving new service models that actually work. During the period the second research report from this work with Yuwaya Ngarrali collaborators was published that showed that governments do not know whether their investments in Walgett to date are effective. This also means accountability is minimized. PMoal ki cey SPeanps eerf o- rMCaokmi nmg uGno ivt ei er sn, mMeanyt 2F0i n2 a5nbcye s Mel Flanagan, May Miller-Dawkins. Left: In June 2025 Gemma McKinnon and Theresa Lake from the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT visited with Sloane and Rory. An important mechanism for developing the services we need in Walgett for children and young people is the Walgett Wellbeing Collaboration that was formed in February 2023 with the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service and Aboriginal Legal Service, because we know that health and legal supports are regularly required. Through the Collaboration we are building the Youth Wellbeing Service at DEG, and the services the other Collaborators need in Walgett to integrate with it. DEG is a Founding Member of ACHAA NSW and attends two gatherings with members each year. We cannot over-estimate the value of meeting and working with other ACHAA members for DEG’s sustainability. Left and below: In November 2024 we travelled to Sydney’s AGNSW to learn about and discuss ICIPG. In May we gathered in Deniliquin at Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre and our ranger teams also met up there. 8 Yuwaya Ngarra-li (YN) is a community-led partnership between the Dharriwaa Elders Group (DEG) and the University of NSW. Associate Professor Ruth McCausland, is the Academic Lead of Yuwaya Ngarra-li. The core Yuwaya Ngarra-li (“YN”) team is based in Walgett and UNSW Sydney. The purpose of Yuwaya Ngarra-li is for the Dharriwaa Elders Group and UNSW to work in partnership to improve the wellbeing, social, built and physical environment and life pathways of Aboriginal people in Walgett through collaborating with government, philanthropy and community organisations on evidence-based initiatives, research and capacity building, and to evaluate this model of CommUNIty-Led Development as a way of working with other Aboriginal communities. The DEG has identified the following long-term aims for Yuwaya Ngarra-li in Walgett: 1. Greater Aboriginal community control and capacity 2. Increased numbers of Aboriginal young people in education, training & employment 3. Reduced numbers of Aboriginal people in contact with the criminal justice system 4. Improved social determinants of health and wellbeing amongst Aboriginal people 5. Improved sustainability of energy, water, land and natural resource management 6. Redirection of government funding towards strengths-based, holistic, community-led and sustainable initiatives The partnership is developing and testing a new model of ‘CommUNIty-Led Development’ which is a place-based approach to breaking the cycle of systemic disadvantage, centring the needs and priorities of Aboriginal people through the leadership of a respected local community-controlled organisation and drawing on the expertise, influence and resources of UNSW. Our work with the Yuwaya Ngarra- li partnership during the period was grouped over these areas: Aboriginal Community Leadership and Control, Youth Wellbeing and Justice, Water and Country, Research and Evaluation, Dealing with Fines, Housing, Food and Water, Community Troubleshooting and Response. Yuwaya Ngarra-li “vision”
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