- South Australian program supporting Aboriginal families through pregnancy and beyond
- Aboriginal Community Grant: Improving Housing and Social Outcomes
- Closing the Gap is not optional: Urgent structural reform is needed now
- The new Aged Care Act – Culturally safe care for older Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people fact sheet
- Rural Generalist Medicine Recognised: A Health Win for Rural and Remote
- Sector Jobs
The NACCHO Sector News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.
We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.
South Australian program supporting Aboriginal families through pregnancy and beyond
A new program empowering Aboriginal families by providing greater comfort and control during pregnancy is now enrolling mums at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide.
Created by the Aboriginal Communities and Families Health Research Alliance based at SAHMRI, the ICARE program, has enrolled eleven women so far through antenatal clinic referrals.
With consent to contact in place, ICARE researchers meet mums in clinic, listen to their priorities and work with them to co-design the right mix of supports. Where helpful, an Aboriginal counsellor will be available on-site, with additional services to reduce stress and system-navigation burden on families.
Program Co-Leaders, Dr Yvonne Clark and Ms Karen Glover say ICARE builds on evidence from its predecessor, Corka Bubs, a two-year pilot program that brought together a multidisciplinary team to deliver culturally safe, practical support.
“Mums have told us having access to counselling and practical help during pregnancy is what’s most useful to them,” Dr Clark said.
“Corka Bubs showed having trusted people and services close at hand can help families feel stronger, better informed and less stressed.”
Simmayah and Louie. Image: Aboriginal Communities and Families Health Research Alliance.
Aboriginal Community Grant: Improving Housing and Social Outcomes
A community co-designed, Aboriginal led initiative that focuses on improving a housing and social need with in your local community that will achieve positive outcome/s for Aboriginal people, families, and communities.
Program objective
The Client Experience Initiative (CEI) focuses on improving a housing and social need that will achieve a positive outcome/s for Aboriginal people, families, and communities. This can include but not limited to initiatives around health, wellbeing, education, and employment.
We are calling for Aboriginal Organisation to identify a housing and social need that is impacting your community and outline how it can be addressed.
The Client Experience Initiative (CEI) aims to improve a need that will achieve positive outcome/s for Aboriginal people, families and communities through the implementation of an Aboriginal-led Co-design approach with successful Aboriginal Organisation, the involvement of other organisations and community members. This approach will ensure that the initiative is delivered in a way that works for local Aboriginal communities.
The total funding available for a CEI grant is up to $150,000 to the successful applicant.
This program is administered by Department of Communities and Justice.
Closing the Gap is not optional: Urgent structural reform is needed now
You may have read the recent 2025 Closing the Gap Annual Data Report and felt a sense of déjà vu. I know I did. Despite the commitments made under the National Agreement, only four of the 19 socio-economic targets are on track. Gains in early childhood enrolment, employment and land and sea rights are encouraging – but they are far outweighed by a decline in crucial areas like life expectancy, adult incarceration, housing, and family safety.
This echoes findings from both the Productivity Commission’s review and the Coalition of Peaks’ landmark report, which together paint a troubling picture: governments are still failing to fully grasp the scale of reform required. Too often, funding and decision-making remain in government hands, while under-resourced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations continue to do the heavy lifting on the ground. Unfortunately, these aren’t new issues. But they demand urgent action – not just more reviews.
The Annual Data Report must pave the way for a new constructive conversation on change. As a Worora and Walmajarri woman and leading businesswoman, I understand that there is simply too much at stake to wait any longer.
Katina Law, Co-Founder and CEO of IPS Management Consultants. Image: supplied.
The new Aged Care Act – Culturally safe care for older Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people fact sheet
Culturally safe care for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Aged care is important. It gives older people the support they need to age well and stay at home for longer. The new Aged Care Act starts from 1 November 2025 and will help to make aged care better for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
New laws to protect older people The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (the Royal Commission) found that the existing laws to protect older people in aged care were no longer working well. The Royal Commission found these laws were written about providers and how to fund them – not the needs of older people who use aged care services.
A new Aged Care Act (the new Act) will replace these existing laws from 1 November 2025
Find out more about the new Aged Care Act.
Rural Generalist Medicine Recognised: A Health Win for Rural and Remote
Rural Generalist Medicine has been formally recognised as a specialised field in General Practice, reflecting over a decade of work by rural health leaders. Rural Generalists play a critical role in delivering high-quality, comprehensive healthcare in rural and remote communities across the nation.
Australia’s rural and remote communities are set to benefit from a stronger, more sustainable health workforce, as Rural Generalist Medicine becomes formally recognised as a specialised field within General Practice.
Announced by Minister for Health and Ageing the Hon Mark Butler MP, this formal recognition acknowledges the critical role Rural Generalists play in delivering high-quality, comprehensive healthcare to rural, remote, and First Nations communities across the nation.
Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.
Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.
Email us your story with some images to: NACCHOCommunicationsandMedia@naccho.org.au
and we will feature it in the news.
