"Our vision is that Aboriginal children and young people in Walgett can learn, work, be safe, supported and thrive within a robust sense of belonging to their families, community, culture and country."
For decades, Elders and the Walgett Aboriginal community have watched, worried and grieved as their children and young people continue to be severely impacted by the legacies of violent dispossession, persistent systemic and institutional racism and failures by systems of education, care and justice that are meant to serve and protect them. The DEG identified this as an urgent priority for Yuwaya Ngarra-li.
Walgett Youth Justice Forum
In 2018, Yuwaya Ngarra-li hosted a Youth Justice Forum at Walgett high school. The aims of the Forum were to:
- Present data, evidence and information about what is known about young Aboriginal people in Walgett and the justice system
- Gather community members (young people, families, Elders) and all the critical services, organisations, and Walgett stakeholders (Police, legal and justice agencies, Walgett High School) together to discuss the needs of Aboriginal young people at risk of entering or who are already in the justice system and possible responses
- Facilitate a public forum that is action oriented and focused on positive, evidence-based solutions.
The forum was attended by more than 70 people including young people, parents, carers and representatives of Aboriginal community controlled organisations, service providers and government agencies.
Speakers included visiting and local experts, agency representatives, young people, parents and carers on what is contributing to the high rates of young Aboriginal people ending up in the justice system and what local, evidence-based strategies could work to address this and support children and young people in Walgett to thrive in their community. A report of the Youth Justice Forum includes the many suggestions raised throughout the forum of possible strategies and solutions that could address the problems identified, and help Aboriginal young people to thrive in Walgett.
Action plan
Building on the momentum from the Youth Justice Forum, Yuwaya Ngarra-li developed an Action Plan for Children and Young People through discussions with young people, community and Walgett services.
Bulaarr Bagay Warruwi Burranba-li-gu: ‘Two River Pathway to Change’
A key focus for Yuwaya Ngarra-li has been to build and embed a holistic, community-led model to divert young people from the criminal justice system in Walgett. Our Youth Diversion Demonstration Model, named ‘Bulaarr Bagay Warruwi Burranba-li-gu’ by the DEG Elders Council, aims to create new, positive opportunities and life streams for current and future generations of Aboriginal children and young people in Walgett.
In the Two River Pathway to Change Briefing Paper, we share lessons and key findings from the implementation of the model from 2018 to 2023. It also documents reflections on what is needed to reduce children and young people's contact with the justice system in Walgett long-term, including DEG's and Yuwaya Ngarra-li's contribution.
The Two River Pathway to Change model includes three interlinked strategies:
- Influencing and ensuring accountability of agencies and services
- Building and supporting community leadership and family engagement
- Working directly with children and young people.
Walgett Youth Wellbeing Service
Beginning in 2023, the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service, Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT and the DEG have embarked on a collaboration—facilitated and supported by Yuwaya Ngarra-li—to design a new Walgett Youth Wellbeing Service (YWS) for children and young people in line with the Two River Pathway to Change model. Its focus is an Aboriginal community controlled program that builds strong relationships with children and young people, families and carers in Walgett, working with relevant legal, health and other services to provide integrated and meaningful community care, enhance social and emotional wellbeing and build connection to culture and country.
The DEG, with support from Yuwaya Ngarra-li, is developing and implementing the YWS at its new Galuma-li ('care for') space on Walgett's main street.
Publications
- Nellie Pollard-Wharton, Amy Townsend, BJ Newton, Melanie Andersen, Rona Macniven, Christine Corby, Ruth McCausland, Peta MacGillivray, Wendy Spencer, Kate Hunter, Kathleen Clapham, Christine Erskine, Madeleine Powell & Rebecca Q Ivers (2025) ''Better together': codesign of Aboriginal unintentional child injury prevention programme', Injury Prevention, Online First.
- Peta MacGillivray, Virginia Robinson & Ruth McCausland (2025) 'An Elders-Led Response to the Criminalisation of Aboriginal Young People in a Remote Community', Chapter 31 in the Routledge International Handbook of Critical Policing Studies.
- Amy Townsend, Rona Macniven, Nellie Pollard-Wharton, Melanie Andersen, Madeleine Powell, Sallie Cairnduff, Ruth McCausland, Christine Corby, Kathleen Clapham & Rebecca Q Ivers (2025) ''They have a really good way of getting it to the kids': evaluation of a child injury prevention programme in Walgett, New South Wales', Injury Prevention, Online First.
- Yuwaya Ngarra-li Partnership (2024) Australia's Youth Justice and Incarceration System, submission to the Federal Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee.
- Dharriwaa Elders Group (2024) Community safety in regional and rural communities, submission to the NSW Legislative Assembly Committee on Law and Safety.
- Peta MacGillivray, Zoe Sands, Ruth McCausland, Wendy Spencer & May Miller-Dawkins (2024) Yuwaya Ngarra-li Briefing Paper: Lessons from the Two River Pathway to Change Diversion Model 2018–2023.
- Rebecca Reeve, Ruth McCausland, Peta MacGillivray & Virginia Robinson (2024) 'Community-led diversion of Indigenous young people from the justice system: The role of government administrative data', International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice 76(100650).
- Virginia Robinson & Ruth McCausland (2023) Yuwaya Ngarra-li submission: Youth Justice and Child Wellbeing Reform across Australia, submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
- Rebecca Reeve, Ruth McCausland & Peta MacGillivray (2022) Yuwaya Ngarra-li Research Report: Has criminal justice contact for young people in Walgett changed over time? Analysis of diversions, charges, court and custody outcomes 2016-2021.
- Ruth McCausland & Leanne Dowse (2020) 'The need for a community-led, holistic service response to Aboriginal young people with cognitive disability in remote areas: A case study', Children Australia, vol. 45, pp. 326-334.
- Ruth McCausland (2018) Yuwaya Ngarra-li Youth Justice Report.
- Ruth McCausland (2018) ‘Dharriwaa Elders Group launches a vision for young people in Walgett’, Croakey, 6 June.
- Yuwaya Ngarra-li (2018) Action Plan for Children and Young People.
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