Condobolin unveils Aboriginal-led services for families

AbSec – NSW Child, Family and Community Peak Aboriginal Corporation has joined the Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation and community partners to launch a new Aboriginal Community-Controlled Mechanism and Aboriginal-led Commissioning services in Condobolin, NSW.

The initiative, years in the making, places community leadership at the centre of support for Aboriginal children, families and communities on Wiradjuri Country.

Key Points

The launch marks a shift from government-designed approaches toward community commissioning, with Condobolin’s service shaped by local stakeholders including Elders, emerging leaders, young people, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), NGOs and community members. WCC convened these voices to inform the service design and has established an Aboriginal-led governance and leadership program that connects Elders, emerging leaders and young people.

AbSec describes Aboriginal-led Commissioning as an approach that starts from the premise that communities hold the knowledge, relationships and solutions. The model places communities in the driver’s seat to design, fund and deliver services that reflect local needs and definitions of success.

“This launch in Condobolin is not a program handed down from the government — it is community standing up and saying: we know what our children and families need,” AbSec CEO John Leha said.

“The knowledge, the relationships, the solutions — they have always been here. The launch of the Aboriginal-led Commissioning service with the Wiradjuri Corporation is a turning point — not just for Condobolin, but for what Aboriginal self-determination can look like across NSW. “

According to AbSec, this commissioning approach invests in community governance bodies and ACCOs as genuine partners in setting priorities, designing services and determining what success looks like.

What the model will deliver

Through yarning and engagement with Elders, families, young people and local services, the Condobolin ACCM identified three clear priorities: stronger leadership pathways, practical support for food security and youth development, and better-coordinated, integrated health and wellbeing services built around the needs of children and families.

Those priorities are reflected in three service streams. A governance and leadership program will connect Elders, emerging leaders and young people. A Community Kitchen will provide weekly meal kits and food support while building skills, confidence and leadership opportunities for Aboriginal young people. The Community Kitchen will also serve as an informal referral pathway, connecting families to supports that address broader needs.

“The strength of this program lies in what it unlocks between organisations, the kind of deep collaboration over time that our community has long needed, and that our children and families have always deserved. Too many communities have felt the impact of organisations pulling in different directions. Working alongside AbSec, I know we will achieve something real for our children, our families and our community,” Ally Coe, CEO of  Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation said.

Trial sites and event details

Aboriginal-led Commissioning is being trialled and refined in two community sites referred to as Freshwater Country and Saltwater Country, with Condobolin as one of the two. The initiative is supported under the Closing the Gap framework and aligns with Priority Reform 2, which commits to building the Aboriginal community-controlled sector.

Launch event program

• Condobolin ACCM & Aboriginal-led Commissioning (ALC) Services Launch
• Tuesday 16 June 2026, 2:00pm – 5:00pm | Formal Welcome: 2:30pm
• Wiradjuri Condobolin Study Centre, 48 McDonnell Street, Condobolin NSW 2877

• AbSec is the peak Aboriginal organisation in NSW dedicated to empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by advocating for the rights, safety and wellbeing of children, young people and families. It supports community-led solutions, shapes policy and drives reforms to ensure every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and young person grows up strong in culture and identity.