It was with great excitement that Creating Communities recently released the co-created Community Plans—part of our ongoing work with the Yarnangu from across the desert communities of the Ngaanyatjarra lands.
The Ngurra Rapa, Tjukurrpa Rapa (Strong Homes, Strong Stories) Community Plans are a culmination of widespread engagement and consultation and represent the ideas of Yarnangu from across the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. The plans were developed in late October when the team from Creating Communities visited the Lands to listen and learn about our communities’ aspirations for the future.
A significant proportion of people living in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands live below the poverty line, with an average weekly household income of just $990, compared to $1815 for the broader State population and $1480 for other First Nations people in Western Australia.
These Plans recognise the innate strength and resilience of the Yarnangu—strength that is fuelled by Ngurra and Tjukurrpa, the stories and language passed down by ancestors, guided by thousands of years of continued culture on the Lands.
Ross Robins, Senior Consultant at Creating Communities said, “Each plan has been designed to reflect the unique characteristics and needs of each community but also the shared values and aspirations that connect those who live on Lands.”
“Critical to the development of the plans has been to walk alongside these communities, to sit with and listen to them to help understand a future that is community-led and can be community-driven,” he added.
The Community Plans for Warakurna, Wanarn, Blackstone, Jameson and Warburton, aim to provide direction from the community to create lasting positive change. This change will rely heavily on addressing the failures of the past and the issues of today.
The plans are now available online and in print and will be shared and discussed over the coming months as they inform culture, innovation, investment and education in the eleven communities on Ngaanyatjarra Lands.
From consultation across the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, there is a strong desire to take action to create positive, strong pathways for the future that will allow Yarnangu to walk with agency and purpose.
“The communities’ responses have been positive. People are excited for a future that builds Country and Culture instead of trying to dismantle it. These communities have been left and forgotten for far too long—it’s about time they were given the opportunities to determine a pathway that will build a strong future for generations to come,” Robins said.
The CCA team, along with community leaders will continue visiting the remaining Ngaanyatjarra Lands communities in the first part of 2024 to work on developing Ngurra Rapa, Tjukurrpa Rapa – Strong Homes, Strong Stories Plans with their community members.
