- Cheaper groceries continue to reach remote NT communities under federal subsidy scheme
- Supporting families through stillbirth and miscarriage
- High Mental Health Burden in Indigenous Young People
- ‘A substantial new direction’: Construction of Aboriginal Child and Family Centre begins
- Sector Jobs
The NACCHO Sector News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.
We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.
Cheaper groceries continue to reach remote NT communities under federal subsidy scheme
More than 50 remote stores across the Northern Territory now have access to cheaper groceries under the federal government’s Low-Cost Essentials Subsidy Scheme.
The initiative, announced last month, has now enrolled 100 remote community stores across Australia. It reduces the cost of 30 staple items — including fresh and canned produce, nappies, and toilet paper — helping to bring prices closer to those in cities.
According to the government, communities such as Croker Island in the north, Aputula in the south, and Atitjere in the east are among those benefiting from lower grocery prices, with remote consumers saving up to 50 per cent on these essentials.
The scheme is overseen by the National Indigenous Australians Agency and implemented by Outback Stores, a not-for-profit Commonwealth company.
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, said the federal government had promised cost-of-living relief, “and that’s exactly what we’re delivering in remote communities across the Northern Territory”.
Malarndirri McCarthy (left) and Marion Scrymgour.
Supporting families through stillbirth and miscarriage
The Albanese Government has provided $3.2 million over four years to Red Nose Australia to deliver the ‘Healing Through Community’ project, supporting families through stillbirth and miscarriage.
Each year in Australia, more than 110,000 families experience the heartbreak of stillbirth or miscarriage.
Healing Through Community resources support stillbirth and miscarriage bereavement care services for First Nations families, multicultural families, refugee and migrant communities, women and families living in rural and remote areas, and women younger than 20 years.
While any pregnancy can result in stillbirth or miscarriage, rates remain high for women from these communities.
The project was co-designed with health professionals and communities to ensure culturally safe and practical resources. It provides referral pathways for women, tools for local and national support, and powerful video stories from people with lived experience. These resources validate grief, amplify community voices, reduce stigma, and support training and awareness for the health workforce.
High Mental Health Burden in Indigenous Young People
A recent Headspace survey found that 59 per cent of First Nations young people (aged 12-25) reported ‘high or very high’ psychological distress. Experts and those with lived experience were not surprised, attributing the confronting statistic to generational trauma, the ongoing impacts of colonisation, and systemic factors like racism, climate anxiety, and food insecurity.
Wiradjuri person Ley Laupama called the severe distress rate “believable,” given the struggles faced by their community. Despite the high levels of distress, Headspace noted an encouraging trend: more young people are actively seeking mental health support. The organisation is focusing on providing culturally safe and effective environments to meet this growing demand.
Image: Headspace.
‘A substantial new direction’: Construction of Aboriginal Child and Family Centre begins
Aboriginal families in Western New South Wales will soon have increased access to early learning and health screening after construction began on a new Aboriginal Child and Family Centre in Broken Hill.
The project is being delivered in partnership with the local Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation, which was awarded the contract following a competitive open tender process.
Designed to provide integrated, culturally appropriate and needs-based services for Aboriginal families and children, the NSW Government said Aboriginal Child and Family Centres (ACFC) also operate as community hubs, providing universal early learning services for all families, alongside dedicated health and community spaces.
Maari Ma CEO, Richard Weston, said the Centre will support Aboriginal families in the Broken Hill region.
“Maari Ma is proud to be in partnership with the Department of Communities and Justice in the establishment of a new Aboriginal Child and Family Centre in Broken Hill—a major new initiative launched in our 30th anniversary year,” Mr Weston said.
“The centre will provide a culturally grounded space focused on early childhood education, development and family wellbeing.
“This is a substantial new direction for Maari Ma, and one that goes to the heart of our purpose—supporting the growth and development of Aboriginal children and their families.”
Broken Hill City Council Mayor Tom Kennedy, NSW Member for Barwon Roy Butler, Maari Ma CEO Richard Weston and NSW Minister for Families and Communities, and Minister for Disability Inclusion, Kate Washington. (Image: Roy Butler MP/Facebook)
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