The NSW Government is supporting more Aboriginal carers in rural and remote communities in Western NSW with a $300,000 funding boost through the Carers Investment Grant Program 2025-27.

The funding will go to the Regional Enterprise Development Institute’s (REDI-e) Yadama Yoorayga project to drive greater awareness of support services available to Aboriginal people who care for family and friends.

Many Aboriginal people in New South Wales provide unpaid care to a person with a disability, health condition or due to old age, and account for 3.6 per cent of all carers in New South Wales.

While they experience many of the same challenges as other carers, they say they felt less recognised as carers by service providers.

In a 2024 National Carer Survey, 30.4% said they sometimes or never feel services are culturally safe.

The Regional Enterprise Development Institute is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation which has served Western NSW for more than 25 years.

“The Regional Enterprise Development Institute has worked with Western NSW communities for decades and is well placed to serve the needs of carers in the area," said Chief Executive Peter Gibbs from the Dubbo-based organisation.

“Carers play a huge role in supporting family members and friends with illness or disability, particularly as they grow older. 

“This funding will allow us to deliver a culturally-tailored program in partnership with the community to meet the unique needs of Aboriginal carers."

The Regional Enterprise Development Institute in Dubbo. IMAGE: REDIe

The REDI project promises to ensure that culturally safe services, which recognise Aboriginal carers’ history and needs, are provided.

The project includes ongoing education and training to service providers to better equip them to meet the needs of Aboriginal carers in Western NSW.  

Key focus areas of the two-year project include:

• • Training service providers to understand the needs of Aboriginal carers.
  • Partnering with organisations in Western NSW to connect with Aboriginal carers.
  • Creating culturally appropriate programs with community input.
  • Setting up systems for ongoing training and education for service providers beyond the project.

The Yadama Yoorayga project is one of seven projects funded under the NSW Government’s $3.1 million Carers Investment Grant Program 2025-27 to support carers across the state.