Coonabarabran is one of five towns from across the state that has been selected to develop culturally-appropriate housing for the Indigenous community.

The Coonabarabran Local Aboriginal Lands Council (CLALC) placed an expression of interest with the NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations (NSW CAPO) to be part of the project and will received $1.5 million towards the development of two new culturally-appropriate homes.

NSW CAPO, in conjunction with the Indigenous Infrastructure and Sustainable Housing Alliance (TIISHA), offered to develop design principals based on what a cultural home looked like.

The pilot project encompasses a shared decision-making process, with the aim to set new benchmarks for Indigenous housing in rural communities.

So far, multiple meetings have been conducted within the Gamilaraay community and included separate meetings between Elders, the broader community and other local services.

The conversation around what the community wanted covered topics such as structure, aesthetics, the most appropriate type of materials for durability, and preferred appliances.

There was a focus on understanding the current strengths of locally-available public housing and letting go of what did not work.

Climate responsive housing was also a focus, due to the extreme hot and cold seasons experienced in Coonabarabran, along with accessibility for the elderly, or people with disabilities.

CLALC chief executive officer, Brandon Nixon said land for the project was available through CLALC.

He said a culturally- appropriate home would involve spaces for people to gather indoors and outdoors, with areas to cook outside and a place to gather and have a fire identified as relevant.

Family values are also important in Indigenous communities, and ensuring enough space for family members to visit and feel comfortable to stay was emphasised.

“It is all about flexible spaces. Making sure it is appropriate for who we are and how we live – and for traditions to carry on. It is for the people, by the people,” Mr Nixon said.

“We want to create space for people to share and come together. To have a voice in this project is so important and there has been nothing like this available before.

“We hope it opens up the doors for future projects to come in. We need lots more affordable housing and the market is not the cheapest at the moment.”

Following the public meetings, it was concluded the Indigenous community wanted a Elder accommodation, which would likely be constructed in John Street.

This would allow Elders to downsize from a four to five bedroom home to a more manageable size, fostering a more sociable existence in proximity to other Elders and to town.

Joint units, with shared outside facilities such as a barbecue area and gardens were favoured.

It was noted that the buildings should have character and not feel institutionalised. Downsizing will also then open up the four to five bedroom homes to Indigenous families that are currently in need of housing.

Consultations have since commenced and TIISHA, alongside NSW CAPO, will return with briefing documents in the following months.

The level of community engagement makes the project unique and sets a standard for future development projects.