The Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm, a purpose-built health facility south of Canberra, has yet to be fully utilized after six years of being open. The facility, which was intended to be a rehabilitation center for Indigenous Canberrans, remains mostly unused, with its eight beds never been slept in. The advisory board, set up over a decade ago to provide First Nations’ expertise and guide decision-making at the facility, was quietly suspended in January. This suspension has further hindered the progress of the healing farm, which has been plagued by setbacks and a lack of transparency.
Ngunnawal Elder Roslyn Brown, who co-chaired the advisory board, expressed frustration over the facility’s operations and lack of communication. She stated that the healing farm has not been running as the promised residential rehabilitation center and described the situation as “smoke and mirrors.” She emphasized the importance of Indigenous involvement in the facility and insisted that the healing cannot happen properly without their input.
The origins of the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm date back over 20 years when Roslyn Brown, Uncle Fred Monaghan, and the late Aunty Agnes Shea advocated for a residential facility that incorporated Aboriginal beliefs and values. They established the United Ngunnawal Elders Council and developed a vision for the farm based on sketches of houses at Hollywood Mission. However, progress on the project has been slow, and the farm’s role has become divisive.
Issues with land zoning and opposition from farmers led to delays and setbacks. The facility was meant to be an Aboriginal-specific alcohol and drug residential rehabilitation facility managed by Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service. However, the health provider pulled out of the project in 2017 due to land-zoning rules that prohibited clinical services at the farm. This setback prevented the delivery of a fully functioning Aboriginal-specific residential rehabilitation center.
Winnunga CEO Julie Tongs expressed disappointment over the missed opportunity and highlighted the need for such a center in Canberra. Although the ACT government has committed to establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-specific residential rehab for men, Tongs emphasized that it does not address the needs of the entire community.
Despite limited use, ACT Health has allocated funding to the farm in recent budgets. However, there is still no clear timeline for services to be transitioned back to community control, and the future of the advisory board remains uncertain. The government is in talks with Wollongong-based Aboriginal rehab provider, The Glen, to work towards the residential model for the facility. However, progress is slow, and it remains unclear when the healing farm will reach its intended purpose and significantly benefit the Indigenous community.
