Local decision-making: Priority setting in the Alice Springs town camps

We have developed a Wellness Framework for Aboriginal people residing in Alice Springs Town Camps and have utilised this framework to develop a robust survey tool to measure the wellness of Town Campers. The electronic survey is being conducted by Senior Aboriginal researchers who are multilingual and can directly input the survey results, ensuring the survey is conducted in a culturally appropriate and safe way for participants, and that language, literacy or numeracy are not barriers to participation, whilst ensuring the nuances of Central Australian Aboriginal culture are understood.

Participants will be selected if they are head tenants of a house in any local Town Camp:

• Akngwertnarre

• Anthelk-Ewlpaye

• Anthepe

• Aper-Alwerrknge

• Ewyenper-Atwatye

• Ilparpa

• Ilperle Tyathe

• Ilyperenye

• Inarlenge

• Irrkerlantye

• Karnte

• Lhenpe Artnwe

• Mount Nancy and Basso’s Farm

• Mpwetyerre

• Nyewente

• Yarrenyty-Arltere

In Priority Setting, data will be reviewed by researchers and analysed in line with the seven framework dimensions, and fed back to the participants in a series of workshops, to develop local community-led strategies to improve wellness, identifying the key priorities for the community to focus on, including ranking/voting. Participants will also be involved in determining the relevant measures of success.

These strategies will be developed in partnership with the NT Government, in accordance with our Local Decision-Making Agreement from July 2020, including monthly meetings for each dimension in the Framework (refer to https://www.tangentyere.org.au/local-decision-making).

We aim to develop place-based Agendas which will integrate an understanding of wellness of person and place, to determine local priorities and inform long-term community-controlled strategies for improved wellness with focus on the Framework dimensions. This project is unique - Alice Springs Town Camps operate as small communities that are generally populated by inter-generational family groups, so this project will measure wellness for the individual as well as wellness of place, identifying the positive impacts on wellness in attempt to amplify their impact, whilst outlining the barriers to support the development of long-term strategies.

The project is opportune and strongly aligns with the recent Closing the Gap NPA, focussing on long-term outcomes including local priority-setting within regional strategies to address complex social issues, partnerships between Aboriginal organisations and governments, and considers place-based data to develop community-controlled initiatives.

Whilst the research results and Local Agendas will be of specific benefit to Town Campers in working with governments and other stakeholders, the process of this project will also underscore a potential model for ascertaining community-led solutions and local decision making, building local capacity and confidence, whilst improving service delivery and investment in the region.

For more information visit: http://tangentyere.org.au