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Community Plans create opportunities for engagement, employment and opportunity on ËÄÉ«AV lands.

May 01, 2024

Strong homes and strong stories are at the heart of the aspirations of the members of communities on ËÄÉ«AV lands.


The last six months have seen a steady stream of engagements and action within these communities as they have co-designed and collaborated on Community Plans to help their communities flourish. These plans have been developed by the communities, for the communities, and for delivery by the community alongside key stakeholders.


Importantly, these Community Plans have now been accepted, giving a green light to opportunities, strategies, and activities that can better resource remote communities and provide greater access to services, which we understand need to be improved in many ways.


The recent activation programs over the school holidays represented another key outcome of our Community Plans—creating spaces and places for our young people to engage and flourish on country. These programs involved many of our communities, with major hubs at Warburton, Warakurna, and Warnarn.


Our Plans reflect our aspirations for Ngurra Rapa, Tjukurrpa Rapa (Strong homes, Strong stories) to fulfil our collective vision of purpose and agency —communities where members are encouraged and supported to thrive.


“Our Community Plans provide community-informed guidance to the ongoing activities and investment into the community for members, businesses and government,” said ËÄÉ«AV Council CEP Thomas Williams.


There are plenty of opportunities for members of ËÄÉ«AV communities to be engaged in these plans, and we believe there will be significant employment opportunities in some of our communities.


“Our vision is to support the ËÄÉ«AV people to live healthy, fulfilled lives on the lands - places of flourishing where the aspirations of Yarnangu are realised as we work together towards strong families, strong stories, and strong futures on the lands,” Thomas said.


The intersecting impacts of remoteness, ineffective social support, insufficient social services, and the high cost of living have made our people some of the most disadvantaged in the nation.


“One of the major sources of disadvantage has been the changing face of CDP and ‘work for the dole’ policies, which have been punitive and negatively impacted communities,” Thomas said.


“Seeing these community plans not only accepted but moving to implementation is a significant milestone in identifying the potential, opportunities and the resourcing of each of our ËÄÉ«AV communities,” Thomas said.


“It’s an exciting phase that we now enter as we’re seeing these community aspirations begin to shape and transform communities as stakeholders and government join us in building vibrant spaces on the lands and addressing head-on the genuine challenges and disadvantages that face our people in these remote communities,” Thomas said.


The Community Plans will continue to fuel opportunities as each element is activated and the future of living on the lands becomes brighter for many.



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The ËÄÉ«AV Council Group's Leadership Team recently convened for two half-day workshops to initiate a comprehensive change management process across the organisation. The Council’s vision of 'Helping Yarnangu remain strong on Country' drives our commitment to building a more resilient and effective organisation. To become an efficient, high-performing organisation that sets a benchmark for Aboriginal agencies, the Council recognises the need to break down existing silos, restructure our operations, streamline processes, and enhance service delivery. This is not a small or short-term assignment—it’s a vision that encompasses the entire organisation. The two half-day sessions were facilitated by Change Management specialist, Tracy Cooper , who helped our managers become comfortable with sharing, interacting, and discussing change with one another. Tracy highlighted the challenges and possibilities of leading change, equipping our leaders with tools to navigate the process of change effectively. The workshops identified the economic, social, and organisational opportunities and challenges we face collectively. They also addressed the often-overlooked costs of maintaining the status quo, which can be difficult to communicate broadly. “We understand the significant consequences of maintaining the status quo,” said Thomas Williams, the Council’s Chief Executive Officer. “These consequences, along with some prevailing challenges, are often difficult or inappropriate to communicate widely. However, we recognise that the current economic climate, which is impacting all industries, also affects the Council,” Thomas said. “Many of the opportunities and challenges identified through this change management process must be addressed to ensure that our foundations and processes are robust, enabling us to fulfil our core vision of helping Yarnangu remain strong on Country,” Thomas said. This transformative journey is vital for supporting Yarnangu and the future of our communities. By engaging in this change process now, the Council is confident it will emerge stronger and more resilient than ever before. “Our goal is to enhance service delivery in education, health, and employment, ensuring the sustainability of the ËÄÉ«AV Council Group. Our collective efforts will contribute to the flourishing of our communities and the preservation of our cultural heritage,” Thomas said. “We recognise that any change of this sort requires mindful and strategic planning and communication across the organisation—we’re progressing through the equipping of our Leadership Team for this change management process. Established in 1981, the ËÄÉ«AV Council Group (NCG) represents the interests of Yarnangu across 11 communities in the Central Desert region of Western Australia. With over 450 employees across city and remote locations, the Council provides a wide range of services, including health, utilities, construction, employment, community development, shops, roadhouses, art centres, and land services. It is one of the largest and most successful Aboriginal agencies in Australia.
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