Home

Warning: Images of deceased persons may appear. Yuwaalaraay / Gamilaraay pronunciation guide.

Walgett's RO system mothballed

Walgett's Drinking Water Health Threat. Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) in Walgett are calling on the NSW Government

Jobs

Dharriwaa Elders Group is RECRUITING. Apply now! If you don't want to miss out you have to apply ASAP. Food and Water for Life Project Officer,

Dry Namoi River 2018 Walgett

This statement is made so that voters can be aware of Dharriwaa Elders Group's policy for water management when they vote Saturday 21 May 2022.

Namoi River Red Gums Walgett

This statement is about the harm caused by NSW Police during the Covid-19 pandemic in Walgett between July 2020 and October 2021.

child over Walgett

This week Dharriwaa Elders Group made a call to action re the Walgett high school that it had been working on most of February 2021.

A blue coffin for the death of the river was left in the Ngamaay River after a community mourning ceremony and protest was held in Walgett, March 2019.

The NSW Government cannot say they have not been advised of solutions to the crisis brought upon the rivers in the Walgett area.

DEG’s Charlee Sue Frail, Clem Dodd & Bow Simpson at the Council meeting while Lock the Gate activist Sonja Marshall addresses Council.

Tuesday 28 July 2020, Walgett Shire Council was considering the letter DEG had sent to it in October 2019, asking it to exclude all coal seam gas activities from the LGA.

A rare gumbulgaban - (Ardeotis australis Australian Bustard spotted at Gingie

A rare gumbulgaban - (Ardeotis australis Australian Bustard) was spotted at Dharriwaa (Narran Lakes) in October. This may be the same individual we saw 2 weeks ago

partial photo of DEG consultation

DEG holds an ex-officio position on the management committee of the Lightning Ridge Area Opal Mining Reserve. We are working to ensure that the Aboriginal cultural

DEG Elders Councillor Elizabeth Peters announced the closure of the Elders Centre to the general public and visitors, as the organisation responded to the growing threat of Covid19 in March 2020

Dharriwaa Elders Group recognised the dangers of Covid19 early 2020, and by March were producing community education

Latest video

Latest News

Work with DEG

Dharriwaa Elders Group is RECRUITING. Apply now! If you don't want to miss out you have to apply ASAP. Food and Water for Life Project Officer,
DEG and WAMS Demand Action!

Walgett's Drinking Water Health Threat. Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) in Walgett are calling on the NSW Government
Statement: Water management

This statement is made so that voters can be aware of Dharriwaa Elders Group's policy for water management when they vote Saturday 21 May 2022.

Latest Publications

Food & Water 4 Life Project

Food and water security are major areas of concern for the Walgett community, and the Dharriwaa Elders Group and the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service (WAMS) have been working to improve access to fresh food and safe drinking water in Walgett for many years. In 2018, DEG requested UNSW’s assistance with the testing of Walgett drinking water, after community concerns about its quality since the local Shire Council switched the town water source from the river to bore water due to the drought. The advice from Professor Jacqui Webster from the George Institute for Global Health was that the Walgett drinking water was high in sodium, which is of particular concern for people living with chronic disease. Subsequent advocacy by the Dharriwaa Elders Group saw significant media coverage on this issue, leading to the NSW Government committing to installing reverse osmosis systems to remove salt from Walgett as well as Bourke’s drinking water. The problems with drinking water quality were exacerbated when critical infrastructure failed, and people in Walgett were left without water to drink or operate air conditioning in the middle of summer. In 2019, Yuwaya Ngarra-li held a Food Forum at Walgett high school. The aims of the Food Forum were to: Provide data and research about what is known about food issues relevant to Aboriginal people in Walgett and impacts on long-term health and wellbeing Gather community members and critical services, organisations, and other stakeholders together to discuss food issues in Walgett Facilitate a public forum that is action oriented and focused on positive strategies and evidence-based solutions Staff from local Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, council staff, teachers, gardeners, food retailers and other concerned local residents, including Elders from the DEG, raised issues to do with food supply, drinking water, growing food locally and the effect of food choices on physical and mental health. A report of the Food Forum can be found here, which includes the many suggestions raised throughout the forum of possible strategies and solutions. Since the Food Forum, Yuwaya Ngarra-li has been focused on building its ‘Food and Water for Life Program’, which aims to address food and water insecurity issues, poor drinking water, costly and poor quality food available in Walgett, and the associated health and wellbeing issues in Walgett. The urgency of this work has been highlighted after Walgett’s only supermarket burnt down and local food shortages during COVID. Since 2021, the Food and Water for Life Program has been boosted by a five year NHMRC grant (2021-2025) Food and Water for Life: co-creation and evaluation of sustainable innovations to strengthen food and water security with collaborators from UNSW and the George Institute for Global Health. In collaboration with WAMS, we seek to enable community-led sustainable food and water initiatives that will be run by and employ Aboriginal people, and ensure healthy drinking water and fresh nutritious food produced locally for years to come.
WAMS Community Garden

UNSW Engineering staff and students from the ChallENG program collaborated with DEG and WAMS to develop irrigation solutions and shade for the WAMS community garden. The garden’s water efficient microfarm was launched in December 2020 and is providing ongoing access to healthy food for clients of WAMS’ chronic disease program.
Regulatory Framework

We are investigating the relevant laws, policies and guidelines for food and water security in Walgett including looking at the relevant legislation and government agencies responsible. We are also talking to key stakeholders to understand what we can learn from past Walgett food and water crises and how we can be better respond in the future. Once we have a better knowledge of the systems that cause Walgett's food and water insecurity, we will embark on programs of advocacy equipped with the evidence, knowledge and decisionmaking we need to influence and make change.
Healthy Supermarket program

With WAMS staff and Walgett IGA we are producing a variety of healthy supermarket initiatives. The Meal of the Month and WAMS Choice promotes healthier choice items on the supermarket shelves. Meal of the Month promotes a healthy affordable meal and provides taste tests in Walgett IGA. Raffles give away the ingredients of the Meal of the Month, and contestants are asked to cook up the Meal of the Month and display if on Facebook for more prizes.

Tweets by DharriwaaEGroup

4WeHelp Movers Cincinnati

© 2007 by Dharriwaa Elders Group. All rights reserved.