A sporting outcome for local decision making in Gapuwiyak

Local decision making has been kicking goals in Gapuwiyak, where planning is underway for new housing to be built.

In May, the program team met with Gapuwiyak local decision makers to discuss the three year HomeBuild NT program for new housing. A subdivision of 26 serviced lots was nearing completion and the next stage involved the community making decisions about size, design and orientation of the first year of new housing builds.

Community members played an active decision making role in the meeting, with much discussion in the local Djambarrpungu language. “The group was truly engaged, and it was fun," HomeBuild NT team member Aly Connochie said.

The Aboriginal Interpreter Service was there to help the program team understand the group’s deliberations, which included chair Bobby Wunungmurra requesting with a chuckle that as many of the lots overlooked the oval, the members had decided to orient some of the houses towards it so that sports-mad families could enjoy a view of the local team’s games.

"The flexibility of local decision making, and the ability for it to be truly placed based to adapt to each community, means this was a successful outcome for the Gapuwiyak community which allowed decision makers to determine priorities on housing size, location and orientation," program team member Alistair Borrows said.

The group felt comfortable talking extensively in language to make their decisions before letting us know, and having a laugh too. Local decision making is productive and can be enjoyable too. Building relationships with community members is one of the things I love the most about my job."