Western District ACCO Collective launched

WESTERN Victoria’s Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) have announced a new collective to speak as one voice.

Announced last week, the Western District ACCO Collective (WDAC) formalises the long-standing solidarity and partnership of ACCOs between Geelong and the South Australian border, with the organsation to advocate for the self-determination of rural and regional communities in the area.

WDAC represents 28 per cent of Victoria’s Aboriginal people, the largest regional Victorian Aboriginal population.

Its membership comprises Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative, Budja Budja Aboriginal Co-operative, Dhauwurd Wurrung Elderly & Community Health Service, Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative, Gunditjmara Aboriginal Co-operative, Kirrae Health Service, Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative, and Winda-Mara Aboriginal Co-operative.Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative chief executive officer Simon Flagg has been named as the collective’s first chair.

The ACCOs in WDAC all run specialist health and wellbeing support services, including cultural and community engagement, primary and allied health, social and emotional wellbeing and recovery, maternity services, early childhood, youth programs, family services, homelessness and housing, NDIS, and aged care services.

In a statement released last week, WDAC’s members said they would be accountable to the self-determined needs and aspirations of the western districts’ families, communities and ACCOs, with the backing of and funding from our government and regional partners.

The statement also listed several priorities:

Be a powerful voice advocating at regional, state, and national forums for our families, communities and ACCOs

Use Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing to lead, design and facilitate the solutions to achieve equity and beyond for our Communities

Hold government and partners to account at local and regional levels, to ensure that all Aboriginal funding is self-determined and led by Aboriginal families, Communities and ACCOs

Support whole of Community approaches to address the ongoing harm of systemic racism that disproportionately impacts Aboriginal Communities

Achieve ongoing, equitable and significant funding for our ACCOs’ infrastructure, workforce, Community strengthening, and services that we deliver “our way”.