Category Health Promotion

NACCHO welcomes contributions , articles and photographs for this category
Contact Colin Cowell
NACCHO Communications and Media
nacchonews@naccho.org.au
Tel 0401331251

NACCHO Sector News: 21 October 2025

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News

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.

Support at Home communication toolkit for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Providers, peak bodies, advocacy organisations and community groups can use this toolkit to inform older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their families and carers about the new Support at Home program. The program starts along with the new Aged Care Act from 1 November 2025.

Learn more and access the toolkit.

Let's Yarn about ageing well - Support at home: Communication toolkit.

Let’s Yarn about ageing well – Support at home: Communication toolkit.

Cyclists unite to bring bike benefits to remote Kimberley communities

Fifteen cyclists from the United Kingdom will soon start pedalling to raise funds for Australian program, The Bike Creative, the brainchild of school teacher Chris Sellings.

In 2023, Chris Sellings, resident of Boorloo/Perth and originally from Twickenham, England, moved with his wife to work at a remote school over 3,000km away in Turkey Creek in the East Kimberley. Amid the challenges of isolation, about 200 kilometres from Kununurra in Gija Country, Mr Sellings saw a simple but powerful way to make a difference to the community: bikes.

A former cycling coach in Europe, Mr Sellings started a bike club at Ngalangangpum School (the name means ‘mother and child’) in the woodwork shop, teaching kids how to fix and build their own bikes.

The impact was immediate and positive. The club quickly became a go-to place; kids wanted to learn, to create, to ride.

Mr Sellings said parents watched with some amazement as their children returned home with bikes they’d built themselves and the community came alive with the sight of children cycling everywhere.

“The kids are happy, which makes the adults happier. They go to bed earlier because they’re tired and want to get up and ride their bikes,” said parent, Benita Everett.

Read the full article

three kids and an adult repairing bikes.

First Nations communities welcome local climate solutions

More than $650,000 has been given to 24 local clean energy initiatives that will benefit many First Nations communities

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal is the only national foundation specifically focused on ensuring the social and economic strength of Australia’s remote, rural and regional communities.

Established in 2000, the FRRR awarded the 24 funding grants to address localised impacts of global warming and energy industry transitions via its Community Led Climate Solutions program.

The program supports locally-led projects that inform and empower locals to adapt or act to mitigate risks caused by a changing climate, and also supports initiatives that empower community groups to assist locals impacted by transitions away from fossil fuel industries and/or transitions to clean energy industry.

The $652,740 in grants are funded through two streams, with grants ranging from $19,186 for a native plant nursery in Moora, WA, to $75,000 for an Indigenous STEM education program to be rolled out in multiple remote communities across the country.

Read the full article.

The Yued ILUA area includes the towns of Leeman, Jurien Bay, Cervantes, Gingin, Calingiri, Coorow and Moora and covers more than 26,0000sqkm.

The Yued ILUA area includes the towns of Leeman, Jurien Bay, Cervantes, Gingin, Calingiri, Coorow and Moora and covers more than 26,0000sqkm. (Image: Supplied)

Chlamydia rates dip among teens

There’s been a substantial and sustained decline in chlamydia notifications in 15–19-year-olds since 2010 in QLD, according to Queensland Health.

Finally, some positive STI news!

We’ve seen significantly higher rates of STIs in line with increased testing nationally, and chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI in Australia.

But recent analysis of 20 years’ worth of ABS data for Queensland show the state may be heading in the right direction.

Chlamydia notifications per 100,000 people in those aged 15-19 years almost quadrupled between 2000 and 2010, but then a downward trend began, which was sustained until the end of the dataset in 2019.

Read the full article.

Decorative image

Looks like the kids are all right after all, at least in Queensland.

 

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.

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

NACCHO Sector News: 17 October 2025

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News

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.

Register now for the 2025 NACCHO National Youth Conference!

This year’s National Youth Conference is taking place on Monday 8 December 2025 at the Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney on Bidjigal & Gadigal Country. The National Youth Conference will bring together up to 100 youth from around Australia to gain experience and exposure to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector on a national level.

During the conference the youth will engage in discussion, share their experience and learn from other peers from across the country. The conference will allow the youth to learn about informing policy, influencing change and provide a pathway so their voices are heard and represented by NACCHO throughout the sector.

The NACCHO Members’ Conference will follow on Tuesday 9 December and Wednesday 10 December. The Conference theme is Strength Comes from Community Control.

Register here.

World Immunisation Day ACCHO Video Competition

World Immunisation Day’s coming up and that means… ACCHOs, it’s your time to shine! We want to see your most creative, cheeky, and clever ideas to get community rolling up their sleeves.

Create a fun, 90-second video that shows how we can Fab Jab & Roll Up, Show Up, Power Up for a stronger, healthier mob. Sing it, rap it, dance it, yarn it, act it, whatever gets the message out and makes people smile.

We will select a winning ACCHO from each category:

  • Best Community Voice
  • Best Storytelling/Narrative
  • Best Original Song/Performance
  • Best Humour/Comedy
  • Best Youth-Led Video
  • Most Innovative Approach

Winners will receive tickets, flights and accommodation to the 2025 NACCHO Members’ Conference.

Submissions close 1 November!

Submit your entry via: immunisations@naccho.org.au

QAIHC Members’ Conference Keynote: Our future workforce – TAIHS Showcase

At the QAIHC Members’ Conference 2025: Led by Culture, Driven by Purpose, Dr Katherine (Kathy) Anderson, CEO of the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health Services (TAIHS), will showcase how community control and investment in people are driving workforce success.

Dr Anderson will explore the value of staff training and share the real outcomes TAIHS has achieved by supporting staff to undertake professional development and accredited training.

Supporting the discussion, Adam Stephen, Workforce Development Jurisdiction Manager, will connect these on-the-ground lessons to broader workforce strategies that help strengthen capability, leadership and cultural safety across Queensland’s ACCHO sector.

The QAIHC Members’ Conference is taking place Wednesdaay 22 October at the Cairns Convention Centre. View the full agenda and register here.

Image source: QAIHC

The Beautiful Shawl Project is coming to Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-Operative

From 20-25 October, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women can access free breast screens on board the Breast Screen Victoria mobile screening van at Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative in Mooroopna.

Every person who screens will receive a Beautiful Shawl to wear during the screening and take home afterwards. This year’s Goolum Goolum shawl was designed by Yorta Yorta artist, April Atkinson.

Describing her artwork, April says, “My art piece represents a Yorta Itjumatj Bayi which means healthy breast in the Yorta Yorta language. The middle symbol represents the nipple and areola, and also represents women sitting. The brown stems and pink flowers that flow off the nipple represent the veins and ducts of a woman’s bayi (breast). The strong blossom of the flower shows how strong women are within their bodies and the flowers that have not yet blossomed are the new beginnings ready to grow. And finally, the wiggled lines along the border and behind the nipple and ducts represents the stretch marks that many women are blessed to have.”

Image source: VACCHO

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.

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

NACCHO Sector News: 2 October 2025

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News

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.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Shaping the National Peak Body for Family, Domestic & Sexual Violence

NACCHO is calling on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services and sector professionals to have your say in shaping the new National Peak Body for Family, Domestic & Sexual Violence.

The national survey (open until 10 October 2025) is broken up into three parts .

Please click on the links below to have your say in each section:

Your voices have already shaped this journey, we’re building on that foundation to ensure the Peak Body reflects community wisdom, sector expertise and lived realities. Please complete the survey and share it widely.

Find out more and access the survey.

If you have questions or wish to discuss further, you can contact the Coalition Secretariat at secretariat@coalitionofpeaks.org.au.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Shaping the National Peak Body for Family, Domestic & Sexual Violence.

Speech from Chief Medical Officer, Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Conference – 16 September 2025

The recent declaration of syphilis as a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance (CDINS) highlights the growing urgency of addressing its spread across Australia. Unlike previous CDINS declarations for COVID-19, Japanese encephalitis, and mpox, syphilis has shown a steady increase over the past decade, with cases rising by an average of 13% annually since 2011. This declaration enables a nationally coordinated response to a long-standing public health challenge.

Read the speech by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd AO, at the Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Conference in Adelaide about his declaration of syphilis as a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance.

Outback nurse transforms remote diabetes care with cans, rocks and bush tucker

When Rishoniy Caine arrived in a tiny outback NSW town with one general store, no gym and the task of fixing its diabetes problem, she decided to do things a differently.

The Bundjalung woman knew from her experience as a nurse in remote Kimberly and Cape York communities the difficulties residents faced buying healthy food.

“If you can imagine the nearest town is 1,000 kilometres away, it can be very challenging to get fresh food. It’s almost non-existent,” she said. “Also a lettuce might be $16 and two litres of milk $12, while a can of coke is $2, a pie is cheap.”

She incorporated what she learnt from elders about bush foods and traditional medicine into a pilot program in a rural NSW town that faces similar issues — Collarenebri, about 75 kilometres from Walgett in the state’s north-west.

Cooking and gardening lessons are provided alongside medical treatment and, instead of weights, participants are encouraged to lift cans.

Read the full story.

Kellie Henderson (left) has lost 30 kilograms and tamed her diabetes with Rishoniy Caine's simple approach. (ABC Western Plains: Zaarkacha Marlan)

Kellie Henderson (left) has lost 30 kilograms and tamed her diabetes with Rishoniy Caine’s simple approach. (ABC Western Plains: Zaarkacha Marlan)

A new First Nations voice to guide Australia’s public health sector

The Public Health Association of Australia has announced they will be establishing an Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islander voice to help guide their work after a near unanimous vote by their members. Nearly two years after the failed referendum saw a First Nations voice to parliament shot down, NGOs like the PHAA and state governments have chosen to follow the wishes of the majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander communities in Australia who voted for this special representation.

Listen to the podcast or read the transcript.

Young Aboriginal girl gets a check up at the doctor’s surgery

Young Aboriginal girl gets a check up at the doctor’s surgery Source: Getty / LOUISE BEAUMONT\

Healing land and spirit through Noongar knowledge and regenerative land management

In Western Australia’s Wheatbelt, a region long shaped by industrial farming practices, a new model of regenerative agriculture is taking root. At Yaraguia farm, Ballardong Noongar man Oral McGuire is healing Country, reconnecting First Nations knowledge of caring for Country with modern land management to restore ecosystems and produce food that benefits both the land and the community.

Out in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia, something is happening … It’s a movement to heal Country – and community.

“And you can see the soil, how degraded it is.”

For generations, acres of land in the Wheatbelt was stripped by clearing, cropping and overgrazing. Ballardong Noongar man Oral McGuire says settlement and colonisation left scars on both soil and spirit.

“All of these activities are very extractive activities that for 170 odd years this little piece of land here, the whole landscape through this region, has suffered that abuse from, you know, settlement colonisation.”

Today, Mr McGuire works as a regenerative land manager, guided not by commodity farming, but by cultural law.

“Slow burning, or our cool burning that we do as Noongars, and we do it to replenish country. The season we are in now is the right season for us to be doing it.”

Fire, water, native plants – all are central to reviving ecosystems that once thrived here.

“So they are indicators that the soil, the balance and the health of the soil is returning, because they haven’t been here.”

Listen to the podcast or read the full story

Ballardong Noongar man Oral McGuire Source: SBS News / Christopher Tan

Ballardong Noongar man Oral McGuire Source: SBS News / Christopher Tan

 

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.

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

NACCHO Sector News: 25 September 2025

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News

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.

Register now for the 2025 NACCHO National Youth Conference!

This year’s National Youth Conference is taking place on Monday 8 December 2025 at the Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney on Bidjigal & Gadigal Country. The National Youth Conference will bring together up to 100 youth from around Australia to gain experience and exposure to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector on a national level. During the conference the youth will engage in discussion, share their experience and learn from other peers from across the country. The conference will allow the youth to learn about informing policy, influencing change and provide a pathway so their voices are heard and represented by NACCHO throughout the sector.

The NACCHO Members’ Conference will follow on Tuesday 9 December and Wednesday 10 December. The Conference theme is Strength Comes from Community Control.

To register, go here.

For more information, go here.

World Immunisation Day ACCHO Video Competition

World Immunisation Day’s coming up and that means… ACCHOs, it’s your time to shine! We want to see your most creative, cheeky, and clever ideas to get community rolling up their sleeves.

Create a fun, 90-second video that shows how we can Fab Jab & Roll Up, Show Up, Power Up for a stronger, healthier mob. Sing it, rap it, dance it, yarn it, act it, whatever gets the message out and makes people smile.

We will select a winning ACCHO from each category:

  • Best Community Voice
  • Best Storytelling/Narrative
  • Best Original Song/Performance
  • Best Humour/Comedy
  • Best Youth-Led Video
  • Most Innovative Approach

Winners will receive tickets, flights and accommodation to the 2025 NACCHO Members’ Conference.

Submissions close 1 November!

Submit your entry via: immunisations@naccho.org.au

Deadly video below by Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services.

Culturally safe disability support is essential for Aboriginal Communities – VACCHO chief executive

Disability services for Indigenous people must be culturally appropriate, respect kinship structures and embrace holistic understandings of health, the CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) has told a national summit.

Delivering the keynote address at the National Disability Summit in Melbourne, Dr Jill Gallagher warned that mainstream systems are failing First Nations communities and leaving many people without proper care.

Dr Gallagher stressed that if governments are serious about Closing the Gap, they must properly fund culturally safe disability services. She offered three practical steps for providers: build relationships with Aboriginal organisations to understand barriers; ensure recruitment practices are culturally safe; and support NDIS participants with Return to Country funding.

“It’s not just a one-size-fits-all approach, but holistic and culturally grounded services. If we want better outcomes for Aboriginal people living with disability, then support must be delivered safely, respectfully and grounded in our culture,” she said.

“If we are truly going to understand how to fix the structural problem of why Aboriginal and people with disability are not accessing the NDIS, then we need to understand the barriers that are preventing their access.”

Read more here.

Jill Gallagher speaking in Naarm last week. Image: Linkedin.

Strengthening health collaboration across the Pacific

Apunipima Cape York Health Council recently met with representatives from the Vanuatu Ministry of Health to engage in a productive exchange focused on Indigenous health systems and leadership.

The meeting provided an opportunity to share Indigenous knowledge and explore comparative approaches to community health workforce education, regulation, and practice. Both parties discussed the value of culturally grounded health models and the importance of supporting community-based health workers.

Key outcomes included the identification of strategies that may be adapted to improve service delivery and workforce development in both contexts. Participants also reflected on leadership development through field-based learning, noting increased confidence to advocate for change and contribute to policy discussions.

“The meeting was an example of how we can strengthen our organisations through building relationships with other Indigenous health organisations around the world. Through this meeting we created a foundation for ongoing collaboration and mutual support and this highlights the potential of Indigenous-to-Indigenous partnerships to strengthen health outcomes and leadership capacity across the industry,” said Apunipima CEO Deb Malthouse.

Image source: Apunipima Cape York Health

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.

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

NACCHO Sector News: 11 September 2025

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News

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.

Medicare Mental Health Centre coming to Alice Springs

Alice Springs residents will soon have access to free, walk-in mental health support and care with a new Medicare Mental Health Centre set to open.

The centre will offer mental health support and care for people in distress, without the need for an appointment, referral or mental health treatment plan.

Staffed by a multidisciplinary care team, including mental health clinicians and peer workers, care is tailored to the needs of each person who visits the centre.

As part of the $1.1 billion mental health election commitment, the Alice Springs Medicare Mental Health Centre will be expanded and open with enhanced services.

The Australian Government is building a national network of 91 Medicare Mental Health Centres, including 3 in the Northern Territory.

There are 45 Medicare Mental Health Centres now open and supporting communities, including in Darwin and Katherine.

The centre is being commissioned by the Northern Territory Primary Health Network with Neami and Central Australia Aboriginal Congress selected as the providers.

People seeking information or support can be connected with Medicare Mental Health by calling 1800 595 212 or visiting www.medicarementalhealth.gov.au.

Read the full Media Release.

Alice Springs suicide prevention walk bolstered by funding announcements

Content warning: this article contains reference to suicide. Please refer to the services at the bottom of this article for support.

In short:
A walk commemorating World Suicide Prevention Day took place along the banks of the Todd River in Alice Springs.

The Northern Territory has some of the worst rates of suicide in the country.

What’s next?
New funding for research into First Nations suicide prevention and response, as well as a new mental health care clinic in Alice Springs, have been announced.

The dry bed of the Todd River runs through a place with some of the highest rates of suicide in the country.

A walk to commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day brought the community together on Wednesday to stroll along its banks in Alice Springs.

The event, organised by a range of mental health support services in Alice Springs, including the Mental Health Association of Central Australia (MHACA), attracted about 50 people from the community and local organisations.
“Suicide is actually an ongoing and prevalent issue in our communities, not just here in Mparntwe and the Northern Territory but across the world,” MHACA chief executive Nicole Pietsch said.

“It is important that we draw attention to [it] and help people understand … there are a lot of supports available when someone is experiencing a crisis.”

Read the full article.

If this article brought up anything for you or someone you love, please reach out to, call or visit the resources listed below for support.

A range of local mental health support services organised the World Suicide Prevention Day walk. (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)

A range of local mental health support services organised the World Suicide Prevention Day walk. (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)

Big FISH in the community with the Foundation of Indigenous Sustainable Health

“we’re here to serve mob, for mob. But we’re also here to celebrate culture with the rest of Australia”
NITV Radio has a conversation with CEO Mark Anderson and FISH Metro Social Enterprise Trainee Assistant Manager, Gypsy Rose Williams at the Foundation for Indigenous Sustainable Health (FISH).

FISH is an Aboriginal lead organisation and has a physical Social Enterprise Gallery and Retail Shop in Mt Lawley, Perth. Mark and Gypsy share with NITV radio some of the many initiatives and services FISH provides in the community and wider regions as they expand.

Listen to the full story.

Polly Willson, FISH's Metro Social Enterprise Manager.

Polly Willson, FISH’s Metro Social Enterprise Manager.

Calling for an end to harmful child “protection” systems, and investment in what works

Introduction by Croakey: In marking National Child Protection Week, it’s critical to prioritise the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, now and into the future.

This means dismantling harmful systems and “supporting our children to be safe and strong at home, on Country, with family and kin,” says Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC – National Voice for our Children.

“It means funding early intervention, prevention and healing – not just response and removal.”

Liddle, an Arrernte/Luritja woman from Central Australia, pays tribute to the work of Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) in “quietly and consistently leading the way in transforming outcomes for our children and families”.

Read the full article.

Catherine Liddle, speaking at the SNAICC 2023 conference in Darwin. Photo provided.


Catherine Liddle, speaking at the SNAICC 2023 conference in Darwin.

Bigambul nurse Kymberlie Cox named finalist in National Palliative Care Awards

Bigambul registered nurse Kymberlie Cox has been named a finalist in the prestigious 2025 National Palliative Care Awards, recognised for her outstanding contributions to culturally safe, community-led end-of-life care.

Proudly sponsored by Silverchain, the National Palliative Care Awards celebrate excellence, innovation, and leadership across Australia’s palliative care sector.

Ms Cox, a registered nurse from the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health, is one of the finalists for the ‘Emerging Leader’ category. The award honours an individual for their contributions to palliative care early in their working or academic life.

Her nomination for this category reflects her dedication and high standard of care at IUIH, where she works across both the Palliative and End-of-Life Care Team and the Domiciliary Service Team.

“It was initially a real shock and a very emotional moment. Being nominated was already a tremendous honour, but to be named a finalist alongside the remarkable achievements of Dr Priyanka and Charlotte in the same category is truly humbling,” Ms Cox said.

“To be recognised in a professional capacity is not only a personal privilege, but also a reflection of the incredible work of the entire palliative care team at the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health. This recognition belongs to all of us and the strides we continue to make together.”

Read the full article.

Kymberlie Cox is one of three finalists for the 'Emerging Leader' category at the 2025 National Palliative Care Awards. Image: Supplied.

Kymberlie Cox is one of three finalists for the ‘Emerging Leader’ category at the 2025 National Palliative Care Awards.

 

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.

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

NACCHO Sector News: 20 August 2025

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.

Optimising heart failure care for First Nations people with reduced ejection fraction

This resource developed by NACCHO and developed through the national MAIA project is designed to support GPs and other clinicians working in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) to deliver holistic, person-centred care that strengthens heart health, promotes wellbeing, and empower individuals and families to get the most from the medicines for HFrEF.

Heart failure (HF) is a complex chronic condition that affects how the heart works, often leading to symptoms like breathlessness or tiredness. Wwith the right care, support, and lifestyle changes, people can live well and enjoy a good quality of life after a diagnosis of heart failure.

  • Over 60,000 Australians are diagnosed with heart failure every year.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are 2.8 times more likely to be hospitalised for heart failure.
  • The average survival rate following a heart failure diagnosis is around five years.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, there are higher rates of health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart and kidney disease, diabetes, and rheumatic heart disease—many of which can begin earlier in life.4 While these conditions can increase the risk of heart failure, they also present powerful opportunities for early intervention, culturally safe care, and community-led health solutions.

Access the full resource.

Let’s track flu, COVID-19 & RSV in the community

FluTracking is a quick, 30-second weekly survey where you record if you’ve been feeling sick or well. The more mob that join, the stronger the data becomes — helping us see how illness is moving through community and keeping everyone informed.

It’s simple and quick, and it’s a powerful way to look after each other. Every report matters — whether you’ve got symptoms or not.
Learn more and join

This graph from last weeks data shows the level or respiratory illness among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants. Sign up today to help keep these weekly graphs accurate and stay aware of what is going around!

Graph showing respiratory illness activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants.

Graph showing respiratory illness activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants.

Help keep mob safe and join flutracking today!

Help keep mob safe and join flutracking today!

Bush medicine partnership to sow seeds of collaboration

An Australian-first $1.01 million research and commercial partnership aims to explore the development of a sustainable agribusiness model for traditional Australian medicinal plants growing in Northern Australia.

The partnership between Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies), Traditional Homeland Enterprises (T.H.E.), Integria Healthcare (Integria) and The University of Queensland has received $363,363 over 18 months in funding from the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA). Project participants have committed $188,845 in cash and $461,074 in-kind contributions towards the project, over the next 18 months.

The Traditional Australian Medicinal Plants Agribusiness collaboration brings together extensive research and industry experience to focus on traditional Australian medicinal plants as an important biological, cultural and economic resource.

The project originated from requests by a Menzies Indigenous Reference Group (IRG) seeking that more research be done on Indigenous medicinal plants. This IRG continues to have oversight of the project. According to Mark Mayo, the partnership’s Indigenous Steering Committee representative and Menzies researcher, the group initiated plans for this project with a view to creating important opportunities for collaboration and mutual learning through the application of modern science to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge.

Read the full article.

Decorative image

Sustainable partnership supports First Nations health workforce

Indigenous Allied Health Australia has partnered with leading IT asset lifecycle management company Greenbox to support Aboriginal health students and promote sustainability.

This partnership strengthens Indigenous Allied Health Australia’s (IAHA) purpose to grow and empower the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce through supportive and culturally safe education, training and employment pathways, while also contributing to digital equity and environmentally responsible practices.

The collaboration will see Greenbox provide repurposed and secure IT equipment to support IAHA’s programs, including the innovative IAHA National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Academy.

The Academy program, which operates in five regions nationally, empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to complete a school-based traineeship, a supportive step on their education, training and career journey.

Read the full article.

Indigenous Allied Health Australia deputy CEO Kylie Stothers.

Indigenous Allied Health Australia deputy CEO Kylie Stothers. Image: Croakey.

Young mob encouraged to FLIP THE VAPE and breathe easy

A mob-led health campaign is blazing a trail to encourage Aboriginal youth in Victoria to ditch vaping.

Led by The Koori Way, a Victorian statewide anti-tobacco and anti-vaping health promotion initiative from the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, FLIP THE VAPE is designed to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth to take control of their health and quit vaping.

Co-created with 11 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), FLIP THE VAPE is the first anti-vaping initiative of its kind led by mob, for mob.

With involvement from young Aboriginal ambassadors from across Victoria, the campaign calls on the next generation to reclaim their wellbeing, reject the vape, and breathe easy.

Funded by the National Tackling Indigenous Smoking Program, the campaign takes an alternative approach to anti-vaping or smoking campaigns by skipping lectures, fear-based language, and scare tactics in favour of bold, positive, and empowering messaging, along with a community-driven approach.

Instead, FLIP THE VAPE encourages young people to ‘Be a quitter’, ‘Breathe easy’ and ‘Join the flipping movement’.

Read the full article.

Mob-lead health campaign FLIP THE VAPE is encouraging young mob throughout Victoria to ditch vaping.

Mob-lead health campaign FLIP THE VAPE is encouraging young mob throughout Victoria to ditch vaping.

 

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.

 

NACCHO Sector News: 19 August 2025

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.

Recognising hidden harms of multiple medicines — Strengthening safe medicine use in ACCHOs

This resource developed by NACCHO and developed through the national MAIA project supports GPs and other clinicians working in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) to strengthen the way medicine related harms are identified and managed, using a structured approach to deprescribing, when clients are on multiple medicines.

Polypharmacy (five or more medicines) is linked to increased risks of:

  • falls and fractures
  • frailty and disability
  • hospitalisation and death.

While every medicine has the potential for harm, there are some classes of medicine that confer a higher risk. These include anticholinergics, antipsychotics, diuretics, antidepressants, opioids, and NSAIDs. The risk becomes even higher when these classes of medicines are prescribed and taken together.2

Reducing the number of medicines a client takes can significantly lower the risk of harm. GPs play a vital role in supporting clients by creating space for open, culturally safe conversations about their medicines and working in partnership with pharmacists, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners and other team members to reduce the hidden harms of polypharmacy and improve health outcomes for clients.

Access the full resource.

Express your interest in guiding the Medical Research Future Fund’s Reducing Health Inequities Mission

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing is seeking expressions of interest for the Reducing Health Inequities Mission Expert Advisory Panel (EAP). This EAP will advise the Australian Government on the Medical Research Future Fund’s (MRFF) newest mission. Applications close on 17 October 2025.

Australia’s priority populations can struggle with poor health and wellbeing because of system inequities, social exclusion and limited access to care. These health challenges can be made worse by cultural differences, remote locations and financial hardship.

The MRFF’s Reducing Health Inequities Mission is investing $150 million for research that helps priority populations access quality health care and improve their overall health outcomes.

Find out more and apply.

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Scholarship supporting First Nations woman’s path to paediatrics

Wongutha, Ngarluma and Wudjari-Noongar woman Kayla Williams-Tucker is in her third year of medicine at the University of Notre Dame WA, and was recently named one of three recipients of the 2025 AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship.

She now hopes to specialise in paediatrics to improve the health and wellbeing of First Nations children, saying her motivation is personal.

“I want to provide care that is not only high quality, but also compassionate and culturally safe – care that ensures our children grow up healthy, strong and supported,” Ms Williams-Tucker said.

“As a mother to a child with developmental needs, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to navigate a healthcare system that too often feels like it was not built for us.

“These personal and lived experiences drive my determination to be a doctor who listens, understands, and walks alongside families during their most vulnerable times.”

Read the full article.

AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen presents Kayla Williams-Tucker (pictured with son Ezra) a 2025 AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship.

AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen presents Kayla Williams-Tucker (pictured with son Ezra) a 2025 AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship. (Image: AMA)

Jack Beetson, a Ngemba Aboriginal man from western New South Wales, shares his remarkable personal story.

The BBC wrote on their website:

Jack Beetson is a Ngemba Aboriginal man from western New South Wales in Australia.

In the late 1960s when he was choosing subjects for high school, Jack was interested in studying commerce and history. Then a teacher told him; “Aboriginal kids don’t study those subjects,” diverting him to woodwork and metalwork instead. One year later aged 13, Jack was expelled with the other Aboriginal boys in his class and earned money picking cotton in the cottonfields.

It wasn’t until Jack was 28 years old and living in Sydney that he decided to go back to school and complete his education. He enrolled at Tranby College, Australia’s oldest Indigenous college. After graduating he went on to become a teacher at Tranby and then the college Principal.

He quickly became a well-known name in education in Australia, playing a role in drafting the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of First Nations Peoples and was awarded a UN Unsung Hero Award.

Today he’s director of the Literacy for Life Foundation, championing First Nations adult literacy programmes across Australia.

Listen to the full story.

Jack Beetson, a Ngemba Aboriginal man from western New South Wales, shares his remarkable personal story.

Jack Beetson, a Ngemba Aboriginal man from western New South Wales, shares his remarkable personal story.

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.

NACCHO Sector News: 15 August 2025

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.

NACCHO develops new resources for doctors and pharmacists to support medicines and clinical management with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

NACCHO is excited to release three health topics developed through the national MAIA project. The topics target GPs, pharmacists and other clinical staff to deliver more effective and culturally responsive care and are related to three clinical areas: multiple medicines risk, heart failure and pain management.

The work was led by Yugambeh pharmacist Aleena Williams. During the project’s consultation the project team engaged over one hundred stakeholders across 63 unique ACCHOs, in all states and territories. We acknowledge their deep expertise, experience and skills in the topic areas. The resources illustrate another example where ACCHOs are leading comprehensive, holistic primary care.

NACCHO Acting Deputy CEO, Monica Barolits-McCabe quote:

“The depth of input into the topics means they are grounded in ACCHO input and based on what matters to our sector.  Doctors and pharmacists working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients can be confident that the information will be relevant and appropriate for their work. Ultimately, it will assist them in delivery of culturally safe and appropriate care for our Mob.”

Aleena Williams quote:

“Building these topics taught me a lot, from the clinical updates that are timely and important to the MAIA process of trying to make clinical updates impactful in our busy days. This knowledge falls flat without the insight from the sector. I am grateful for the generosity of all the ACCHOs and individuals that gave us time, advice and told us when we were off track. Hopefully we have built something useful, that makes sense and is used to improve the lives of Mob all over.”

MAIA resource consultation

Scholarships for VIC Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners close today!

VACCHO in partnership with the Department of Health is providing scholarships to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in their professional development.

Training scholarships valued at up to $4,000 are available to Aboriginal health workers and practitioners to support one year of professional development activity.

Training scholarships are intended to remove the financial barriers to doing professional development training. Some examples of what training scholarships can help with are:

  • course tuition costs
  • education equipment costs
  • financial support to cover travel costs
    child minding costs.

Are you a qualified Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander health worker or practitioner looking to undertake professional development training? If you’re working within an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) or Victorian public health service then you may be eligible to apply.

Applications close today, Friday 15 August. Apply here.

Image source: VACCHO

Let’s Yarn! With Professor Kelvin Kong

Professor Kelvin Kong, doesn’t just hold the distinction of being Australia’s first Aboriginal surgeon. He carries with him a responsibility to ensure he won’t be the last.

A proud Worimi man, father, son, brother and ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon, Professor Kong has become a powerful voice for equity in health. His journey into medicine began early, shaped by the example of his mother, a nurse who looked after many in their Community.

Professor Kong completed his medical training at UNSW and became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2007. He now practises in Newcastle (Awabakal Country), treating public and private patients across several hospitals.

Reflecting on the significance of being the country’s first Aboriginal surgeon, Professor Kong expresses dual emotions.

“It’s hard to put into words. I’m incredibly proud. But it’s also a reflection of the system,” he says.

“We shouldn’t still be celebrating ‘firsts’. There are so many brilliant people out there who could have, should have been given the opportunity earlier.”

Professor Kong’s advocacy extends well beyond the operating theatre.

As a former Board Director of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA), he’s contributed to national efforts to support and grow the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical workforce.

“Being on the Board allowed me to contribute in a different way. To help shape strategy, advocate for change, and support the next generation. That collective strength, that’s what keeps us going.”

Read the full article here.

AIDA has been “a place of support, advocacy and connection,” Professor Kong says.

AIMhi Stay Strong app

AIMhi Stay Strong is a motivational care planning tool that assists health professionals to promote the wellbeing of Aboriginal clients by considering their social supports, strengths, worries and the goals or changes they would like to make. It is designed for use by Aboriginal Health Workers, nurses, GPs, allied health professionals and others to facilitate delivery of a structured brief intervention and can be used in clinical and community settings.

The app Includes 5 new stories, 11 new videos and 7 games sharing deadly knowledge and language, available to download via the App Store and Google Play!

Learn more here.

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.

NACCHO Sector News: 13 August 2025

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.

Celebrating our future leaders in health!

Last week, Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) proudly hosted a one-week workshop for students completing their Certificate III in Business – Medical Administration, coordinated by our Workforce Coordinator (Medicare and Chronic Disease), Sandy Robertson. Students travelled from across Queensland to take part.

The workshop marked the culmination of their course, and all 14 students proudly received their certificates at the end of the week.

For the past 16 years, QAIHC and UNE Partnerships have worked together to deliver this qualification, helping graduates progress into roles such as practice managers, primary health care managers, team leaders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and practitioners, and human resource officers – strengthening the ACCHO sector and building community health leadership.

Congratulations to all our graduates – your hard work today is shaping the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in Queensland.

Image source: QAIHC

Milingimbi Public Health team launch Yaka Ŋarali (no smoking) mural

A couple of weeks ago the Milingimbi Public Health team celebrated the launch of the new Yaka Ŋarali (no smoking) mural at the clinic.

The team hosted a week of activities including screen printing, a colour run, and smoothie bikes. The artists shared the story behind the artwork and the team shared messages based on the mural’s key themes of healthy lifestyle and strong culture.

Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation hopes the artwork inspires the community to think healthy and come to the clinic when they need help. The Yaka Ŋarali program shares dhäwu on tobacco smoking to support Yolŋu who want to quit.

Image source: Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation

Studying in 2006? Lowitja Institute Health and Wellbeing Scholarships are now open

Applications for 2026 Lowitja Institute Health and Wellbeing Scholarships are now open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and early career researchers across three streams.

These scholarships contribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership of health by providing opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to develop skills in their chosen area of study.

Learn more here.

Image source: Lowitja Institute

Understanding Social and Emotional Wellbeing as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Paradigm for Wellbeing

On today, Wednesday 13 August, Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia will be hosting a webinar exploring social and emotional wellbeing as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander paradigm for wellbeing. This webinar will unpack the cultural concepts of social and emotional wellbeing, its practical implementation, and its role in research and community-based mental health initiatives.

Join Professor Pat Dudgeon AM, Dr Clinton Schultz, Professor Gail Garvey, and Dr Graham Gee as they discuss the underlying principles of social and emotional wellbeing from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worldview, approaches to measuring social and emotional wellbeing, and how applying a social and emotional wellbeing lens can strengthen mental health research in community contexts.

  • Date: Wednesday 13 August 2025
  • Time: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm AEST

Register here.

Image source: Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia

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.

NACCHO Sector News: 7 August 2025

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.

First Nations solutions to HIV and hepatitis receive GLOWS grant support

Ten First Nations-led projects have received grants totalling $2.3 million under the inaugural round of the Guiding Local Opportunities for Wellbeing (GLOWS) First Nations Health Grant program.

The GLOWS initiative is a three-year, $4.4 million partnership between the Lowitja Institute and Gilead Sciences to support First Nations-led solutions addressing HIV and viral hepatitis.

The program is designed to build health equity by funding community-controlled research, knowledge-sharing events, and training for early-career researchers in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the country.

Ngarabul woman and Lowitja Institute Executive Manager of Policy and Consulting Rosemary Smith said the initiative responds to community needs by investing directly in First Nations workforce development and service delivery.

“GLOWS gives us two things our communities have asked for,” she said.

“First, it builds a pipeline of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and practitioners who can walk with our peoples on the journey to eliminate HIV and viral hepatitis.

“Second, it directs funds straight to community-controlled organisations so they can design and deliver the care models that work for our mob.”

Read the full article.

Lowitja Institute Executive Manager of Policy and Consulting Rosemary Smith says the grants program responds to community needs by investing directly in Indigenous workforce development and service delivery.

Lowitja Institute Executive Manager of Policy and Consulting Rosemary Smith says the grants program responds to community needs by investing directly in First Nations workforce development and service delivery. (Image: Lowitja Institute)

Celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers

The National Day of Recognition for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners falls annually on 7 August. This day serves as a powerful tribute to a workforce that is renowned as a vital and reliable resource critical to improved health and wellbeing outcomes.

The deep roots of this profession are highlighted by the careers of dedicated individuals at Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District (NBMLHD) like Clarke Scott and Donna Jory, whose decades of service have shaped a genuine connection with Aboriginal people.

Clarke Scott, now the Aboriginal Health Programs Manager for Drug & Alcohol Services, holds a unique place in the history of the District. He was proudly the first person employed in an Aboriginal identified position, starting as an Aboriginal Liaison Officer 30 years ago.

Reflecting on his work, Clarke speaks to the importance of connecting with the community and guiding them through the health system. “On home visits, I would go along and help the community feel relaxed. Just having another Aboriginal person there really helps.”

Read the full article.

Clarke Scott and Donna Jory

Clarke Scott and Donna Jory

Trek tackles heart disease cruelling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives

Medical specialists, cultural guides and local medicos are teaming up for a Top End trek to tackle a disease affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people the most.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are 64 times more likely to have rheumatic heart disease than non-Indigenous, with women and young people most affected.

The disease begins with a common strep A infection – a sore throat or skin sore that can lead to lifelong complications, invasive treatments and premature death if left untreated.

A team of paediatric cardiologists, nurses, sonographers, Aboriginal cultural guides and local health professionals have embarked on a trek across the Big Rivers region of the NT. The Deadly Heart Trek focuses on education, early diagnosis and treatment of the disease and its precursor acute rheumatic fever, with echocardiographic heart checks and skin checks performed by health professionals.

“It’s a national shame that this disease has been eradicated in every developed country except Australia,” the trek’s cultural lead Aunty Vicki Wade told AAP. Now in its fifth year, the trek will visit nine communities before finishing on August 15.

Read the full article

Medical specialists are teaming up for a Top End trek to tackle heart disease.

Medical specialists are teaming up for a Top End trek to tackle heart disease. (Image: Rudi Maxwell/AAP PHOTOS)

Help celebrate healthcare excellence

Nominations are now open for the 2025 Murrumbidgee Primary Healthcare Awards, and Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) is calling on the community to help recognise the region’s dedicated and passionate primary healthcare professionals.

From general practitioners and nurses to allied health, First Nations health, and community care workers, the awards celebrate the people and teams making a meaningful difference to health and wellbeing across the region.

MPHN chair Dr Jodi Culbert said the awards were a valuable opportunity to recognise the dedication of those working across the primary healthcare sector.

“These are the people who care for us when we’re unwell, support us through challenging times, and work every day to keep us and our loved ones healthy and out of hospital,” Dr Culbert said.

“Many rural and regional communities rely heavily on their local primary healthcare professionals. The Murrumbidgee Primary Healthcare Awards are a chance to recognise their tireless efforts and lasting impact. We encourage everyone across the region to nominate someone who makes a difference and help us shine a light on the outstanding talent we have here in the Murrumbidgee.”

Read the full article

Last year’s award winners celebrate excellence in healthcare with nominations now open for the 2025 awards.

Last year’s award winners celebrate excellence in healthcare with nominations now open for the 2025 awards.

Largest ever investment for Aboriginal-led early learning in NSW

Aboriginal-led early learning in New South Wales has received a record boost as part of the state’s 2025-26 budget.

The $200.9 million investment, touted as the largest investment in Aboriginal controlled and owned early learning in NSW history, will be delivered in partnership with local Aboriginal communities through the NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund.

Allocated over four years, the investment will increase the number of places in existing Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) early childhood services and establish new ACCO-led early childhood services across NSW.

The NSW Government says the investment will support programs to grow and strengthen the Aboriginal early childhood education and care workforce, from study preparation and scholarships to mentoring, professional learning and peer support.

More than 15 new services are set to join the 41 existing ACCO-led early childhood services across the state, with a projected 870 new places for Aboriginal children created through the expansion.

The announcement comes shortly after National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day, which is celebrated on August 4th every year.

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children chief executive Catherine Liddle said Aboriginal-led early learning centres will help close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children.

Read the full article

The New South Wales Government has announced a record $200.9 million investment into Aboriginal-led early learning through the NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund.

The New South Wales Government has announced a record $200.9 million investment into Aboriginal-led early learning through the NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund. (Image: 33 Creative)

 

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.

NACCHO Members’ Conference

Read about the NACCHO Members’ Conference on December 8 2025