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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA CONTENTS 3 YAAMA MALIYAA 4 OUR VISION FOR THE CENTRAL COAST – EMPOWERING ABORIGINAL PEOPLE THROUGH A UNIFIED VOICE 5 WHO WE ARE – CENTRAL COAST – UNDERSTANDING OUR SUB-REGIONS 6 REGIONAL GOVERNANCE 7 OUR WAY – THE CENTRAL COAST APPROACH TO REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 8 OUR PLAN – CENTRAL COAST REGIONAL PLAN 15 UNDERSTANDING CHANGE – MONITORING, EVALUATION AND ADAPTATION 2 BARANG REGIONAL ALLIANCE | Regional Development Agenda 1. YAAMA MALIYAA Vickie Parry Barang’s highlights include: • Barang Regional Alliance Empower Youth Executive Director Summit which brought together over 240 Aboriginal young people across the Central Coast over two years Today and for the past 50 years I have • Development of Barang Regional Alliance lived off Country and on Darkinyung Three-year Youth Plan Land. I am one of many proud Aboriginal people who have been part of the • Securing funding for the first Aboriginal safe space for young people and families connecting growth of this vibrant community. our community The Central Coast of NSW lies on the traditional • Several Community forums rolled out across lands of the Darkinyung people and is a centre the Central Coast, engaging the local Aboriginal of historical significance for many tribal groups community to capture their voices. across NSW. • Commencement of the formal Accord This is sandstone country, where the flat rocks negotiations with the State Government. and caves have preserved over 2,985 traditional • Setting up and running Joint Decision- carvings, paintings and stories and where Making panels to work with community and the Darkinyung and Awaba people shared the Federal Government around Indigenous a close relationship, regularly gathering for Advancement Strategy funding in our region. traditional ceremonies. • Opportunities with Empowered Communities The Central Coast Darkinyung Country was also to engage with the Aboriginal Affairs Minister a traditional meeting place for Aboriginal tribal Ken Wyatt to discuss our reform agenda, groups including the Gomeroi, Wiradjuri, Gadigal, achievements and concerns. Worimi, Darkinyung, Awaba and Wonnarua people who gathered at Mt Yengo for ceremony • Continued input into the National Coalition of and negotiations. Today, many of the first Aboriginal Regional Alliances NCARA– Accord nations people from across Australia now call negotiations with senior representatives from the Central Coast home. Government agencies The Central Coast Darkinyung Country is We are forging successful relationships with State located on the coast of New South Wales and Federal Government representatives, which 60 – 90 Kms north of Sydney CBD and 80 Kms is shaping the establishment of formal networks south of Newcastle CBD. This in some cases to discuss shared achievements, challenges and puts the Central Coast and our Community opportunities for collaboration. at a disadvantage when resources are being distributed within regional boundaries. Barang Regional Alliance acknowledge the hard work of our opt-in organisations, Bara Barang For Barang Regional Alliance, it’s been a notable Corporation, Gudjagang Ngara Li-dhi, The Glen, time. The momentum of the Alliance is evident Mingaletta Aboriginal Corporation, NAISDA, Yerin and as our work in structural reform extends and Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Services Ltd and develops with Government, so does the strength our community – this work would not be possible of our opt-in organisations and community. without them as the voices driving change. Central to this work is our unique position in As we progress through the Regional Development the Empowered Communities area, which Agenda the journey of change will be challenging sees us working with Government to reform however, I am confident the Barang Regional how Indigenous policies and programs are Alliance member directors, community and our designed and delivered in our community while staff will continue to work together to meet agreed working alongside Local Decision Making – an priorities and remain key influencers of structural initiative under OCHRE, the NSW Government’s reform through Empowered Communities and community focused plan for Aboriginal Affairs. Local Decision Making. BARANG REGIONAL ALLIANCE | Regional Development Agenda 3 2. OUR VISION FOR THE CENTRAL COAST – EMPOWERING ABORIGINAL PEOPLE THROUGH A UNIFIED VOICE Our vision for our Aboriginal We have a shared set of principles based on community’s future drives our the following views. ambition. Our leaders and our • Community and Government programs must communities want change. support Aboriginal-led decision making. We have a plan for our future that builds our • Innovation is essential and will be built into capabilities, to retain our culture and create program design – we will learn and adapt stronger relationships within our community as we go. and partners. We want systems change to deliver more effective service delivery • Sharing good practices and ensuring results outcomes and accountability to the are delivered and celebrated. Central Coast Aboriginal community. For the mutual benefit of our Central Coast We believe in Aboriginal-led responsibility, Aboriginal community we need Government to collaboration, innovation and best practice partner with us – to be enablers in reform because sharing, and acknowledge the cultural we are in this together. Structural reform requires authority of our people. that all levels of Government work with us to deliver on our priorities. Additionally, there are We have committed to, and begun working four key development objectives that inform our together, to share our experience and Regional Development Agenda. knowledge, and to develop solutions to the problems and challenges we face. • Structural reform. • Aboriginal-led decision making and partnerships. • Tailored services based on need. • Regionally-driven investment. 4 BARANG REGIONAL ALLIANCE | Regional Development Agenda 3. WHO WE ARE – CENTRAL COAST – UNDERSTANDING OUR SUB-REGIONS The Central Coast of New South Wales in this age group. There is significant drop is home to one of Australia’s fastest of 23% in the population amongst the 20-24 growing population of Aboriginal people. years old, indicative of a mobile population leaving the region to seek employment upon The Central Coast region is bound by the leaving school. The Indigenous unemployment Pacific Ocean to the east, the Hawkesbury River rate is 13.9%* compared to 6.5% for the Non- to the south, the Watagan Mountains to the west Indigenous population. and the southern end of Lake Macquarie to the The region is dominated by water ways, with north. The region is home to the Darkinyung the landscape featuring three large inland lakes Aboriginal nation. – Munmorah, Tuggerah and Brisbane Waters, The Central Coast region is home to an Aboriginal flowing out to the Pacific Ocean. The spread population of 12,485 people which represents of the population around these lakes creates a 3.8% of the total population 327,736. One of the ‘population diamond’, with the following: defining features of the Aboriginal population is • Left – Wyong. the low median age, with 56% of the population • Top – Gwandalan. under the age of 24. • Right – The Entrance. Between the age of 12-14 years the gender • Centre – Gosford. split is skewed with 15% more boys than girls • Bottom – The Peninsula. Gwandalan Aboriginal Central Coast residents EARN Wyong THE CENTRAL % COAST 20$ LESS The COMMUNITY % than non-Aboriginal residents Entrance of our young people aged > 19 are not in education, employment or training 2compared5 to % of non-Aboriginal young people 15 Gosford AROUND The Central Coast has a large & of Aboriginal people on growing Aboriginal Community the Central Coast provide Woy Woy unpaid assistance to people with a disability 12,485 We need Umina people 40% in 2016 since 2011 change & better census census The unemployment rate for Aboriginal people outcomes across the Central Coast has fallen since 2011. And more than half of us are under 25 Change is needed to make a difference in disparities between the Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal population for the next generation. 1 in 12 under 18s are in out of home care Our young people are resilient, are at risk of significant harm however they face challenges. 1 in 8 BARANG REGIONAL ALLIANCE | Regional Development Agenda 5 4. REGIONAL GOVERNANCE We have worked hard on our Barang Regional Alliance was established in 2016 to governance arrangements to ensure facilitate and drive our reforms. We are continuing that it is representative of our people to build our opt-in base and our community membership. We continue to talk to people to and robust enough to deliver on both ensure that what they are telling us about what Empowered Communities and Local is important to them underpins our planning, Decision Making. It is a big job and we and is retested with them. We continue to run are already working on it. consultations and have surveyed over 4,000 people to ensure that we know what the priorities are for The Barang Regional Alliance is unique. We our people – we know because they have told us! have been funded by both the Commonwealth and State Governments since 2016. The We are engaging with Commonwealth and State Commonwealth Government has funded Government as an enabling partner. This is critical. Empowered Communities and the State has This means that we need Government to share the funded Local Decision Making. Both aim to drive workload so that we can shift power into the hands significant reforms that deliver better outcomes of local Aboriginal people. This will, over time, bring for Aboriginal people using an Aboriginal-led, real change for Aboriginal people on the Central Government enabled approach. Coast and improve the future for all our people. We are leading and we need Governments to participate as partners. Regional Governance Summary Central Coast Engages Aboriginal Community with... 6 BARANG REGIONAL ALLIANCE | Regional Development Agenda 5. OUR WAY – THE CENTRAL COAST APPROACH TO REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA Our Regional Development Agenda development agenda to improve the lives of all reflects the voices of Aboriginal people Aboriginal people in the region.