The Minns Labor Government is supporting more Aboriginal carers in rural and remote communities in Western NSW with a $300,000 funding boost Carers Investment Grant Program 2025-27.
The funding for the Regional Enterprise Development Institute’s Yadama Yoorayga project will drive greater awareness of support services available to Aboriginal people who care for family and friends.
Many Aboriginal people in New South Wales provide unpaid care to a person with a disability, health condition or due to old age, and account for 3.6 per cent of all carers in New South Wales. While they experience many of the same challenges as other carers, they say they felt less recognised as carers by service providers. In a 2024 National Carer Survey, 30.4% said they sometimes or never feel services are culturally safe.
The Regional Enterprise Development Institute is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation which has served Western NSW for more than 25 years.
This funding will ensure that culturally safe services, which recognise Aboriginal carers’ history and needs are provided. The project includes ongoing education and training to service providers to better equip them to meet the needs of Aboriginal carers in Western NSW.
Key focus areas of the two-year project include:
- Training service providers to understand the needs of Aboriginal carers.
- Partnering with organisations in Western NSW to connect with Aboriginal carers.
- Creating culturally appropriate programs with community input.
- Setting up systems for ongoing training and education for service providers beyond the project.
The Yadama Yoorayga project is one of seven projects funded under the NSW Government’s
$3.1 million Carers Investment Grant Program 2025-27 to support carers across the state.
For more information about the grants and recipients, including a Carers NSW program to help Aboriginal Health workers better identify and support Aboriginal carers, go to https://dcj.nsw.gov.au/community-inclusion/carers/carers-investment-grant-program.html
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said:
“Aboriginal carers often integrate cultural practices and values into their caregiving but they can sometimes face limited access to culturally appropriate services.
“The Yadama Yoorayga project will help to deliver culturally appropriate services to Aboriginal communities in remote and rural parts of Western NSW as well as drive advocacy for Aboriginal carers.
“This is another example of how we’re turning our Closing the Gap commitments into action, by caring for our carers.”
Minister with responsibility for Carers Jodie Harrison said:
“Carers are the backbone of their communities, selflessly providing unpaid support to family members and friends.
“Many take on caring duties out of love or friendship so often don’t identify as carers. This means they can miss out on vital assistance.
“This grant funding will raise awareness about all the help available to Aboriginal carers in Western NSW as well as educating local service providers on how to better meet the needs of the community.”
Labor member for Western NSW Stephen Lawrence said:
“The NSW Minns Government is delivering a strong mix of carer support measures for Aboriginal communities across Western NSW, particularly for carers who diligently support their families and communities in so many valuable and meaningful ways.”
Regional Enterprise Development Institute chief executive officer Peter Gibbs said:
“The Regional Enterprise Development Institute has worked with Western NSW communities for decades and is well placed to serve the needs of carers in the area.
“Carers play a huge role in supporting family members and friends with illness or disability, particularly as they grow older.
“This funding will allow us to deliver a culturally-tailored program in partnership with the community to meet the unique needs of Aboriginal carers.”