Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre Aboriginal Corporation will be able to provide additional support services in Deniliquin with a focus on addressing domestic violence and contact with the criminal justice system, thanks to a grant of more than $490,000 from the Coalition Government.
Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion, said that the Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre Aboriginal Corporation would receive funding to provide support services through until 30 June 2019 for Indigenous families in Deniliquin.
“Improving the safety of Indigenous families and communities is one of the highest priorities for the Coalition Government – and this investment will enable Yarkuwa to provide additional support to people who need it the most,” Minister Scullion said.
Minister Scullion said that through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS), the Government was providing targeted investment to those working on the ground to make a difference in the lives of First Australians.
“This project is a great example of the Coalition working with Indigenous Australians to improve outcomes for First Australians living in Deniliquin,” Minister Scullion said.
Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley, welcomed the funding and said the additional services would allow Indigenous families in Deniliquin to access direct and immediate assistance.
“As well as being tailored to suit local needs, IAS funding is also outcome-based, which means there are checks and balances to ensure money is spent in the right areas and actually working to help the community,” Ms Ley said.
Jeanette Crew, Chair of Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre Aboriginal Corporation, said: “We are aware that some members of our local community are impacted by social circumstances that require sensitive and appropriate support.
“Yarkuwa will support the development of a wraparound programme working with NSW Police and local community services to identify, and respond to, the individual needs of local Indigenous families.
“The programme name Tityap Telkaya has been chosen from the local Wamba Wamba traditional language and means ‘to shift or move with the purpose of improving and feeling well’.
“We will develop a framework where the individual and family situation dictates the way support is provided, not the other way around. This project recognises that while there are many services available already there are challenges to ensuring appropriate access to, and beneficial outcomes, from those services.”
The Yarkuwa project is one of 43 recently funded under the IAS. Services have been funded to provide intensive support to Indigenous people most affected in the following: alcohol and drugs, domestic violence, mental health and wellbeing, and youth offending.
Existing service providers will share $18,697,510 million in Government funding through until 30 June 2019 to transition from the Indigenous Community Links programme to new place-based, intensive support services that address specific safety and wellbeing needs. A further $4,239,664 million will be provided until 30 June 2019 for new services in areas where a safety and wellbeing service gap has been identified.
The final year of funding is dependent on the projects providing strong outcomes for their clients.
Providers will be asked to collect service data to assess the impact of the service, to better understand what works to overcome Indigenous disadvantage and contribute to the evidence base.