• $18 million in grants open up for Indigenous cancer care
• Join NACCHO’s COVID-19 Evaluation Report Webinar & Live Q&A
• ‘It’s not just a health centre, it’s a community centre’
• First Nations health student scholarships now open
• 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.

$18 million in grants open up for Indigenous cancer care

The federal government has opened the 2025 grant round for the Partnerships for culturally safe cancer care program through Cancer Australia.

Addressing long-standing equity and cultural safety issues within cancer services is crucial to ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can access care supported by local expertise.

The program will invest up to $18 million over three years to support partnerships between mainstream cancer services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations.

Applications for the program remain open until 3 February 2026.

Read the full article here.

Image: Artwork by Jordan Lovegrove.

Join NACCHO’s COVID-19 Evaluation Report Webinar & Live Q&A

NACCHO’s Covid-19 Evaluation Report: Webinar and live Q&A is being held Wednesday 3 December 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:35 PM AEDT. To register, go here.

Hear from Jason Agostino, Senior Medical Advisor at NACCHO, and George McMahon, Manager at Nous Group, as they unpack findings from the national evaluation of ACCHOs’ COVID-19 response.

• Learn how flexible funding, local decision-making, and culturally safe communication saved an estimated 2,000 lives.
• Explore what worked, what didn’t, and recommendations for future emergency preparedness.
• Understand the role of Elders, cultural knowledge holders, and trusted community leaders in shaping health outcomes.

Registration close Tuesday 2 December 2025.

‘It’s not just a health centre, it’s a community centre’

Two decades in the making, the new Moorundi Aboriginal Health Service is much more than a GP clinic, it’s a treasured community hub.

In August, 23 years after the need for a dedicated Aboriginal health service was identified by the Ngarrindjeri community, the new $10 million Moorundi Health Centre opened.

Designed in collaboration with Moorundi staff and Aboriginal members, the building and its services offer a welcoming and culturally safe space, with a strong focus on cultural knowledge and language.

The more than 40 staff members provide services including primary health care, allied health and integrated team care, social and emotional wellbeing counselling, mental health support, wellbeing services, Elders and children’s programs, even a transport service to collect patients and return them home when needed.

Read more here.

Image source: news GP

First Nations health student scholarships now open

Applications are now open for the 2026 Indigenous Health Scholarship Program (IHSP), with the federal government committing $1 million over two years to support up to 80 scholarships annually.

The program will be managed by an Indigenous organisation for the first time — Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) — and will provide both financial assistance and mentoring to First Nations students pursuing careers in the health sector.

Students can receive up to $5000 to help cover everyday study costs such as books, equipment and other essential expenses.

Applications open 26 November and close on 15 February 2026.

Applications can be made online.

Read the full article, here.

Image source: IAHA

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.

Email us your story with some images to: NACCHOCommunicationsandMedia@naccho.org.au
and we will feature it in the news.