We are Illawarra Regional Alliance Aboriginal Corporation and we're the regional Aboriginal governance body for the Illawarra and Wingecarribee region representing the interest of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the regions. We sit on the lands of the Dharawal, Yuin and Gandangara people. This includes Wodi, Elouera and other language groups in the area.
Established in 2015 initially to support our communities in the negotiation of a Local-Decision Making (LDM) Accord with the NSW Government. The principle objective of IRAAC is to relieve poverty, sickness, destitution, helplessness, homelessness, distress, suffering and misfortune in the community.
In advancing self-determination in service delivery, we want to ensure all available government resources and opportunities are used as efficiently as possible for our communities. We have been actively engaging with individuals, families, organisations, and communities, gathering our own data to understand what is most important to Aboriginal people regarding government service delivery in our region. By using this data, along with our knowledge of the community, we are able to create regional plans that outline specific priorities for our area.
These priorities serve as the foundation for Regional Development Agendas in LDM regions and guide shared decision-making arrangements during the Accord negotiation. Through the ACCORD negotiation, we were able to work on changes in all priority areas such as Health, Housing, Education, Police & Justice, Economic Development & Governance & Capacity.
Our aim at IRAAC is to partner with all stakeholders in these key areas to provide better outcomes for our Aboriginal communities.
Illawarra & the Wingecarribee Aboriginal Organisations united and began the Local Decision Making process in 2018. LDM involves Aboriginal representative bodies (Alliances) collaborating with NSW government agencies to influence and improve the delivery of government services to LDM communities.
Through a signed Accord with Aboriginal Affairs Minister Sarah Mitchell, the initiative aims to gradually transfer decision-making power to Aboriginal communities, empowering them to shape the services they receive. The goal is to enhance self-determination, allowing Aboriginal communities to have a direct say in government policies and service delivery. The LDM process fosters meaningful partnerships and long-term solutions for Aboriginal prosperity and wellbeing across NSW.
