Yawuru leader welcomes Australian-first State funded Indigenous health facility

Kimberley Traditional Owners have welcomed the McGowan Government’s recent funding of a culturally appropriate health facility in Broome, claiming the project is a big step towards “closing the gap”. Announced during the State Cabinet visit to Broome last week, the new Yinajalan Ngarrungunil (Care for People) Broome Health and Wellbeing Campus is set to implement culturally inclusive approaches such as the employment of an Indigenous workforce, inclusion of cultural design features and access the traditional holistic healing. These various features will be projected across the campus’ numerous facilities which include short stay accommodation, renal facilities, mental health services and more. Nyamba Buru Yawuru chief executive officer Nini Mills said the new Health and Wellbeing Centre would be the first of its kind in Australia and see Indigenous people leading the support of their own people. “It’s about ensuring that Indigenous people have the opportunity and the pathways to be part of the solution for their own mob,” Ms Mills said. “Historical implications have resulted in Aboriginal people being not only oppressed from a rights and recognition perspective but, because of intergenerational trauma and other effects from colonisations, having health compromised and their mental health compromised. From a national perspective, there have been various initiatives aimed at closing the gap.” “Let’s get Aboriginal people a part of that economy in delivering the services to their people.” Premier Mark McGowan led the announcement at NBY headquarters last Sunday, revealing the State Government had allocated $8 million for the project. Ms Mills welcomed the State funding and said she hoped the campus would foster a connection to Country for not just Yawuru clients, but those who needed to travel for the services on offer. “Some of the clients aren’t from Broome ... so we also engaged in conversations around providing that connection for these people,” she said. To foster this cultural connection, NBY will develop design features within the built environment and provide support to the precinct’s various organisations to employ more Indigenous staff. “Connection to place is just as important as the connection to the people who are delivering the services,” Ms Mills said. The Yawuru leader said NBY had long envisaged creating a space to foster the wellbeing of Indigenous people and now, with the Government’s financial backing, the corporation had the means to do so in both the development of the infrastructure and the delivery of services. “In the precinct, we want to overlay the application of a mabu liyan care approach,” Ms Mills said. Mabu liyan is a term used across various language groups in the Kimberley and translates to “good wellbeing”. “(Mabu liyan) can be described in many ways,” Ms Mills said. “For a lot of people, they’ll describe it as your moral compass, your intuition, your strength and your spirit. “We trust that this model will be considered by others as an innovative and beneficial approach to development, because it supports native title holder groups like ourselves to develop our land with purpose and intent.” The campus will take shape on Dora Street and incorporate already established care facilities such as Southern Cross Care’s Germanus Kent House Aged Care Facility, Bran Nue Dae respite care and MercyCare’s Broome short-stay accommodation.