- 16 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) share in $3.4 million of Closing the Gap grant funding to enhance community services
- State Government committed to investing and supporting Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector
- Funding to progress targets and outcomes under the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Agreement on Closing the Gap
The Cook Government in partnership with Lotterywest has awarded $3.4 million in grants to 16 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCCOs) to support community services to Aboriginal people across Western Australia.
The grants program was launched in October 2022 calling for ideas from ACCOs to expand or develop initiatives across the housing, health, disability, and early childhood care and development sectors.
Not-for-profit ACCOs across WA were encouraged to apply for a share of grants from the $3.4 million Closing the Gap funding.
The grants will assist ACCOs in delivering high-quality, sustainable services and outcomes for Aboriginal people and communities. Some of the organisations to receive funding include:
- Kuditj Pty Ltd located in the Perth Metro will invest in IT and project costs to build capacity and assist ACCOs in the homelessness sector to become accredited;
- Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council Aboriginal Corporation in the Goldfields to support the delivery of trauma-informed services for Aboriginal children and families in the Western Desert;
- South-West Aboriginal Medical Service Aboriginal Corporation in the South-West, Great Southern and Wheatbelt will invest in the Deadly Koorlangka Initiative to improve health and early childhood services for Aboriginal children and their families across the South-West;
- Nirrumbuk Environmental Health and Services Pty Ltd in the Kimberley will invest in a pilot traineeship project to strengthen the Aboriginal workforce in the disability sector; and
- Marr Mooditj Training Aboriginal Corporation will invest in equipment and a fit out to support the delivery of health care training for Aboriginal people in WA.
A full list of grant recipients can be found here:
The grants are managed by Lotterywest, which has a long history of supporting Aboriginal communities and strong relationships with the ACCO sector.
As stated by Aboriginal Affairs Minister Dr Tony Buti:
“The Cook Government recognises the importance of investing in the organisations that Aboriginal people have established to improve outcomes for their communities.
“We know that Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) will deliver services that achieve real impact.
“This is a key element of our Aboriginal Empowerment Strategy, and our commitments under the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Agreement on Closing the Gap.
“We are grateful to the Aboriginal Health Council’s Social Services Committee for their assistance in developing the grant criteria, and for providing a critical link to the Council of Aboriginal Services Western Australia, the new WA ACCO peak body as it begins to take shape.
“I congratulate the recipients of these grants who continue to deliver key services for their communities. I am looking forward to seeing the positive changes that these vital community organisations can achieve.”
