Project Development

Wiluna Horticulture Industry Development Project

Discussions between the Wiluna Regional Partnership Agreement (RPA), Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) and Centrefarm led to an agreement that the establishment of a range of horticultural crops, bio-fuels and forestry on the once successful orange orchard, referred to as Desert Gold, would have a positive outcome for Aboriginal families in the Wiluna region.

The Wiluna Horticulture Industry Development Project (WHIDP) is based on re-leasing 1000 hectare (about 10 kilometres east of Wiluna) from the West Australian government that Four Aboriginal families have expressed interest in developing as separate blocks.

G2G - A Fresh Approach to Community Gardens 

The value of indigenous community gardens for remote nutritional food supply, community well-being and potential commercial enterprise has long been recognized in central Australia.

Many projects have been funded over the years and proposals for new projects keep coming. However many of the projects have also been dogged by a cyclical demise most often caused by key personnel leaving the community. Funding has also been an issue because community gardens have never fitted into any government programs. 

This pattern is now being addressed in a macro context by Centrefarm with the development of a new model to provide overarching support. In response to the 2008 workshop Centrefarm successfully applied to FaHCSIA/ABA to further research interest, capacity and operational support requirements. This resulted in the follwoing  two reports; 

o  Scoping study for the development of Community Farms/Gardens in remote Aboriginal Communities in Central Australia (I Warchivker 2009)

o  Operational structures for the development of Community Farms/Gardens in remote Aboriginal Communities in Central Australia (I Warchivker 2009)

Further case studies are now proposed to broaden the research base required for a core-funding proposal. FaHCSIA is currently considering an application to fund the studies.