THE WESTERN DISTRICT ACCO COLLECTIVE are A representative, strategic and relational governance body of eight ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY CONTROLLED ORGANISATIONS
Collectively our Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs)
- Provide leadership across State and National governance platforms.
- Provide holistic wraparound services to 20% of Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) Community (AIHW 2025)
- Employ 800+ staff, including 500 Aboriginal Community members.
- Bring a significant investment into our regional and rural communities and businesses and
The Western District ACCO Collective respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians across the lands on which our ACCOs work to connect and support Community. We pay our respects to all our Ancestors, and all Aboriginal Community Elders past and present.
ABOUT WDAC
The Western District ACCO Collective (WDAC) came together as a regional governance body in 2023 to formalise the long-standing solidarity and partnership of our Communities and ACCOs. Together we are a strong collective voice for active local and regional self-determination and governance by
- Holding government and partners to account across regional, state, and national level for our families, Communities and ACCOs.
- Centreing our ACCOs’ ways of working to lead the solutions that can achieve equity and beyond for our Communities.
- Advocating for ongoing, equitable and flexible funding to deliver our place based ACCOs ways of working with our Communities.
- Supporting Community-led approaches to address the legacy and ongoing harms of colonisation and systemic racism that disproportionately impact Aboriginal Communities.
OUR WDAC MEMBERS
above and beyond for our Communities
WESTERN DISTRICT ACCO WAYS OF WORKING
Over the last fifty years, our rural and regional ACCOs have grown exponentially from our Elders’ kitchen tables to gathering places and integrated services for our Communities that proactively strengthen our
- Deep connections to Culture, Community and Country.
- Families and Community from birth to the Dreaming.
- Communities’ holistic health and wellbeing from birth to the Dreaming.
- Economic self-determination for our ACCOs and Communities
- ACCOs’ leadership and workforces, now and into the future.
OUR ACCOS’ HOLISTIC WRAPAROUND CARE
Our holistic wraparound model of care is embedded across our specialist ACCO ways of working including:
- Community Controlled & Culturally Centred
- Community support Community with love, care, and accountability
- Strong and trusted Community relationships
- Open ended healing for gradual and sustained change
- Supporting extended family and kinship systems
- Whole of life touch points
- Self -determined and strengths based
- Above and beyond with flexible response & brokerage
- One stop shop to access all services
- Proactive outreach informed by Community knowledges
- Advocacy for families and Community
OUR COMMUNITIES’ NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS
WDAC have developed our first 20-year plan for STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITIES OUR WAY. Driven by local, state, and national data, our Plan focuses on the self-determined needs, priorities, and aspirations of our ACCOs, families and Communities.
Since 2024, WDAC have partnered together the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Deakin Rural Health to develop our ACCOs’ evidence base across the holistic health and wellbeing areas of regional and rural practice.
The initial WDAC Regional Data Project findings established the need for WDAC to develop our STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITIES OUR WAY plan and advocacy for data-driven policy and program insights, celebrating successes, and identifying our Communities’ ongoing and future needs.
WDAC’s interviews with 200 ACCO staff led to the development our WDAC Ways of Working and Holistic Wraparound Care models of integrated ACCO services and over 80 ACCO case studies.
By enabling shared access to information and evidence, WDAC Regional Data Project is Data Sovereignty and Closing the Gap Priority Reform 4 in action. WDAC’s 20-year plan provides regional and place-based actions for Yoorrook’s 2025 recommendations, Closing the Gap priority reforms and targets, and lays the foundation for our ACCOs’ future Treaty opportunities.
OUR COMMUNITIES’ REGIONAL PRIORITIES
WDAC’s 20 Year Plan for STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITIES OUR WAY is built on the five integrated priority areas of our ACCO Ways of Working with Community
CULTURE, COMMUNITY & COUNTRY
- Thriving connection to family, Community, Country, place, and Cultural identity from birth to Dreaming
- Greater access to Cultural strengthening activities for rejuvenation
- Young people are housed, connected and supported to reach their aspirations
- Regional Truth Telling spaces established for healing and justice across the West.
COMMUNITY & FAMILIES
- Data Sovereignty for ACCOs to deliver localised preventative approaches
- Place-based, culturally-centred and proactive Community strengthening, care and accountability
- Greater access to specialist and therapeutic support
- Families and children, including Kinship Carers, are thriving and supported
- Strengthened family relationships, with more children growing up in Community with family
- ACCOs continue to prevent the need for and minimise harm from racist mainstream systems
Holistic health & Sewb
- Data Sovereignty for ACCOs to deliver localised preventative health approaches
- Place-based, culturally-centred SEWB & Healing assessments and models embedded
- Greater access to holistic, culturally centred ACCO-led health, social and emotional wellbeing services including allied health and specialists
- Children, young people and families are thriving in their health, wellbeing, and development
- Elders receive culturally centred care for optimal health and wellbeing as they age.
- All generations benefit from Elders staying connected to family, on Country and fulfilling cultural obligations.
- Community members receive holistic SEWB care to stabilise in times of crisis including risk of homelessness
- ACCOs continue to prevent the need for, and minimise harm from, racist mainstream systems
ECONOMIC SELF-DETERMINATION
- ACCOs’ funding and accreditation models are compatible with proactive wraparound ways of working
- ACCOs are thriving, sustainable and economically independent with appropriate infrastructure for growth including ACCO Housing
- Every Community member has a stable home and meets their housing aspirations
- Greater access to financial education and opportunities to build economic self determination
LEADERSHIP & WORKFORCE
- ACCOs are formally recognised across all areas of legislation as critical service providers
- Community have access to specialist ACCO education, training and employment, to continue to work for Community and live on Country
- ACCOs offer renumeration and employment conditions on par with the Public Service
- Our ACCOs continue to maintain and grow strong Community Controlled governance and leadership
LONG-TERM OUTCOMES & GOVERNMENT SAVINGS
- Regional and rural communities and economies benefit from investment in ACCOs
- Reduced over-representation, avoidable contact and spending on acute, and statutory services
CONNECT WITH US
WDAC Chair
Simon Flagg
CEO Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative
Simon.Flagg@wathaurong.org.au
(03) 5277 0044
WDAC Strategic Policy Advisors and Secretariat
Nadia Albert Nadia.Albert@wathaurong.org.au
Angela Walsh Angela.Walsh@wathaurong.org.au