Current Projects

Walgett Youth Justice Working Group  

Under the justice and diversion goal of our Action Plan for Children and Young People, Yuwaya Ngarra-li has established and now regularly convenes the Walgett Youth Justice Working Group. One of the critical needs identified by the Dharriwaa Elders Group and others in the community in Walgett is an integrated, coordinated program focussed on improving collaboration between, and accountability around, the agencies responsible for justice outcomes for Walgett young people.

The Walgett Youth Justice Working Group brings together for the first time the agencies and organisations with direct responsibility or involvement with children and young people involved in the criminal justice system, and includes representatives from Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT, Legal Aid NSW, NSW Police, Youth Justice NSW, Mission Australia, and the local Circuit Magistrate. Since its establishment the Working Group has been developing it’s Justice Agency focused Diversion Strategy and Implementation Plan.

 

Walgett Community-Wide Youth Diversion Program

Under the auspice of the Walgett Youth Justice Working Group, and led by Dharriwaa Elders Group, Yuwaya Ngrra-li have been working closely with Walgett’s Aboriginal leadership, at an organisation and individual level, to progress the design and development of a community-led, -owned, and wraparound Youth Diversion Program for children and young people in Walgett. This work began in 2019 after a year of relationship building in Walgett as part of Yuwaya Ngarra-li’s establishment phase, and will continue in 2020.

The Child Injury Prevention Project

Investigators: Professor Rebecca Ivers, UNSW Sydney; Dr Melanie Andersen, UNSW Sydney; Dr Kate Hunter, The George Institute for Global Health; Christine Erskine, Kidsafe Australia; Kathleen Clapham, University of Wollongong; Christine Corby, Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service; Dr Ruth McCausland, Peta MacGillivray, Wendy Spencer, Yuwaya Ngarra-li.  

Funding Partner: Funding for this research ($500,000) has been provided from the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF). The MRFF provides funding to support health and medical research and innovation, with the objective of improving the health and wellbeing of Australians. MRFF funding has been provided to The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre under the MRFF Boosting Preventive Health Research Program. 

Collaborators: UNSW School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service 

Aboriginal children have higher rates of injury than non-Indigenous children, particularly in remote areas. Community led interventions are likely to be the most effective means of preventing child injuries, but there is a scarcity of research or evaluated programs. This collaboration will include a rigorous evaluation of a community led child injury prevention program in partnership with WAMS. The project will enable the development of a culturally safe co-produced program and provide evidence on the feasibility and acceptability of the program. 

Access to fresh healthy food and safe drinking water has been identified as a key issue for the Walgett community. A Food and Water for Life Working Group, made up of representatives from the Dharriwaa Elders Group, Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service, Walgett Shire Council, NSW Health, The George Institute for Global Health, NSW Health and key community stakeholders including food retail managers and representatives from the local schools, meet on a monthly basis to monitor and progress key initiatives. The current focus of the group is the management and integration of local food production into community food systems, the use of existing facilities as spaces to offer community education around food and food preparation, and support for families and individuals in being able to maintain their food supply in times of crisis.

There are currently two distinct projects being undertaken with UNSW collaborators as part of the Food and Water for Life Program.

Euragai Goondi Community Garden Resilience Project  

The Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service has a substantial garden area. Previously this had been a source of fresh food for the town but the garden was badly drought affected and staff were struggling to find ways for it to be productive.

UNSW IMPACT Engineering began a garden project in 2019, working alongside Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service staff to investigate a number of drought proof garden bed options. They were able to deliver a low water wicking bed and as a result have established four productive beds producing leaf and salad crops.

In 2020, the next phase of the garden includes a rapid expansion of the productive beds, while the student team investigates water recycling options to ensure the garden can continue and expand successfully.

The future of the space as a broader community resource is the focus of design work that will be undertaken by the Faculty of Built Environment working closely with Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service, the Global Water Institute, Impact Engineers and the George Institute for Global Health once food crops are established. The garden previously housed a grove of citrus trees and it is hoped that if a water recycling option is established, this will again be possible.

The Water Kiosk Project

UNSW Faculty of Built Environment have provided designs for purpose built, robust and attractive water kiosks to provide chilled drinking water in key locations across Walgett. Working with UNSW Engineering and the Global Water Institute, the next phase of this project involves formal permissions from Walgett Council, NSW Heritage and Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service for the location of the kiosks, and further consultation to ensure the final design of the kiosk is uniquely adapted to the needs of the community.

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