KNAC is delighted to share that all six recommendations of the Nyiyaparli Health and Wellbeing Project have been unanimously approved by the Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation (KNAC) Board and formally supported by the Nyiyaparli Trust Decision Making Council.
This marks a significant milestone in our shared journey to improve kidney health outcomes for Nyiyaparli people through community-led, culturally grounded solutions.
You can read more about the program and next steps in the attached Press Release and from the two summary documents included- one in words and one in pictures.
Looking ahead, we will begin by establishing the Nyiyaparli Health and Wellbeing Committee with an expression of interest (EOI) process for all members. We aim to set the committee up by the end of June so that the implementation of all new projects starts at the beginning of July 2025. Our Board will also be meeting with all new partner agencies (Wirraka Maya AMS, Kidney Health Australia, FISH and Purple House). Recruitment of key project staff in Hedland and Perth will start as early in the new financial year as possible.
We will also provide more information to members at the June Trust Beneficiaries meeting.
A big thank you to Fran Haintz and Dr Rose Whitau from Grounded Impact as well as our own Soraya Daniels for all their work collecting member feedback and developing the roadmap for the results you asked for. Most of all, thank you again to all the members who helped shape this project and its plan to support better kidney health for Nyiyaparli people of all ages in the present and the future, and in the Pilbara and Perth.
Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation (KNAC) is proud to announce that the Nyiyaparli Health and Wellbeing Project has been unanimously approved by the KNAC Board, with final endorsement from the Nyiyaparli Trust Decision Making Council in April 2025.
This is an historic moment for the Nyiyaparli community. After more than a year of extensive consultation, research, and co-design with Nyiyaparli members, healthcare experts, and partners across the Pilbara and Perth, six powerful recommendations have been endorsed to drive better health outcomes for Nyiyaparli people—now and into the future.
These recommendations focus on two core priorities: increasing access to dialysis in the Pilbara and providing culturally safe accommodation and support for those travelling to Perth for treatment. They include:
Together, these initiatives represent a community-led, culturally grounded, and future-focused strategy to improve kidney health outcomes and make health services more accessible, empowering, and effective for Nyiyaparli people.
With the approvals now in place, KNAC will begin the next phase of the project—implementation. This includes establishing the Committee, recruiting key roles, strengthening partnerships with service providers, and beginning the foundational steps for the Health and Wellbeing Centre in Perth.
KNAC will shortly release Terms of Reference and an Expressions of Interest from KNAC members to join the Nyiyaparli Health and Wellbeing Project Committee which will be convened prior to the end of June.
KNAC would like to thank all the Nyiyaparli members who shared their stories, ideas, and guidance throughout this journey. Your voices have shaped every part of this project, and we are proud to move forward with your vision at the centre.
For more information or further enquiries contact:
Cate Ballantyne, KNAC CEO at ceo@karlka.com.au
