- Health Strong Diabetes Gone courses NOW LIVE on NACCHO Online Learning
- Boiling every drop: families in the Kimberley still fighting for healthy homes
- Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service’s ‘rising star’ honoured at national awards
- Moree’s Renaye Madden wins national health award
- Pharmacy Guild appoints Linda Burney Chair of newly-established First Nations Pharmacy Network
- 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.
Health Strong Diabetes Gone courses NOW LIVE on NACCHO Online Learning
These engaging new modules are designed to strengthen the skills and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners to support Mob living with, or at risk of, diabetes.
Courses include:
- Introduction to Diabetes
- Screening, management & support for diabetes care
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Boiling every drop: families in the Kimberley still fighting for healthy homes
In a remote Kimberley community, a mother describes how she must boil water before her children can drink it.
“Good water, only for adults, not for babies. You have to boil it for babies and kids. And we have this problem, those drains, some are open,” she says.
Her voice is one of more than 200 heard in new research revealing how Aboriginal families across WA’s Kimberley region still battle unsafe drinking water, broken plumbing and overcrowded homes – conditions which fuel preventable skin infections, respiratory illness and poor mental health.
The study, published this year in Health & Place, was led by University of WA researcher Dr Samantha Enkel in partnership with Kimberley Aboriginal health organisations through the SToP (See, Treat, Prevent) Trial, which aimed to halve childhood skin infections across nine remote communities.
The road to a remote Kimberley community. (Image: Natasha Clark)
Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service’s ‘rising star’ honoured at national awards
Courtney Smith-Garbutt of the Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service was named Rising Star in Rural/Remote Health at the 2025 National Rural and Remote Health Awards on Wednesday evening.
Ms Smith-Garbutt is an emerging leader in rural health whose initiative, cultural insight, and dedication are making a significant impact in her Aboriginal community.
As a medical receptionist at Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service, she identified a key gap in diabetes education and took action; securing grant funding, coordinating a multidisciplinary team, and delivering the Bullinah Diabetes Management Education Day.
The event exceeded expectations, engaging 25 participants and providing “culturally relevant, holistic education” on type 2 diabetes, the Award organisers said.
“By addressing barriers and supporting proactive management, these efforts have contributed to better health outcomes for people living with, or at risk of, diabetes in our community,” Ms Smith-Garbutt told Rural Health Pro.
Courtney Smith-Garbutt. Image: Rural Health Pro.
Moree’s Renaye Madden wins national health award
MOREE dietitian Renaye Madden has won a national health award for co-developing a First Nations-focused, fussy eating resource for children.
Renaye was announced the winner at the Rural Health Pro National Rural and Remote Health Awards at the National Press Club in Canberra last night.
Renaye, a dietitian at Pius X Aboriginal Medical Service in Moree and Associate Lecturer in Allied Health at the Department of Rural Health, was presented the Dedication to Health in a Remote Location Award.
“I’m so lucky to receive this award, and it wouldn’t have happened without the amazing support of the Moree community,” Renaye said.
“Thank-you to everyone who welcomed me, shared their knowledge, and worked alongside me to make this project possible. This recognition belongs to all of us,” she said.
Moree’s Renaye Madden (right) at the Rural Health Pro National Rural and Remote Health Awards on Wednesday night with Department of Rural Health nominees Heidi Lavis and Miriam Grotowski.
Pharmacy Guild appoints Linda Burney Chair of newly-established First Nations Pharmacy Network
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is proud to announce the establishment of the First Nations Pharmacy Network. This landmark initiative will strengthen culturally safe and healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Guild is honoured to welcome The Honourable Linda Burney, a proud Wiradjuri woman and former Minister for Indigenous Australians, as the inaugural Chair of the Network.
The announcement was made at the Guild’s Annual Parliamentary Dinner, held at Parliament House in Canberra before more than 400 political and industry stakeholders. It marks a significant milestone in the Guild’s Community Pharmacy Indigenous Health Strategy, which aims to embed cultural safety, amplify community voices, and improve health outcomes for First Nations communities across Australia.
“We know there can be no Closing the Gap without collaboration,” said Professor Trent Twomey, National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
With the expert guidance of Linda Burney as Chair, we are committed to ensuring culturally safe, accessible, and community-led care remains at the heart of our sector.”
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