Ŋarrariyal Aboriginal Corporation: Gunyaŋara Master Plan

In December 2017, the Gumatj Traditional Owners secured a 99-year township lease over land including the island of Gunyaŋara and part of the Drimmie Peninsula. The lease enabled them to reclaim control over Gunyaŋara and its future.

Ŋarrariyal Aboriginal Corporation was established to administer the lease and facilitate social and economic opportunities for the community. Its members are representatives of the Gumatj clan. We worked with Ŋarrariyal to develop a master plan, providing a roadmap for the economic and social vision for Gunyaŋara.

The project (icon)
The project

Under the provisions of the township lease, Ŋarrariyal needed to develop a 20-year master plan for the economic, social and cultural development of the town. It needed to consider the status of infrastructure and services in the Township, and the future needs of the Gunyaŋara community.

The objective (icon)
The objective

To develop a Master Plan for the Gunyaŋara Township Lease, articulating a clear vision and goals for Gunyaŋara and its community.

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The role we played

In conjunction with the Ŋarrariyal Aboriginal Corporation we produced a 20-year plan describing Traditional Owners’ priorities for Gunyaŋara. The plan specifically called out the role that all relevant stakeholders will play in achieving those priorities.

This required a deep understanding of the complex history and context of Gunyaŋara. We worked directly with Traditional Owners to understand what Gunyaŋara means to them, as well as their vision for development. The master plan provided a roadmap for:

  • A resilient economy, with employment and training for Yolŋu people
  • Quality infrastructure and services to support community life
  • New housing to support population growth
  • Strong leadership to position Gunyaŋara for the future
  • Promoting Promoting Gumatj culture and managing country sustainability

The master plan brought together economic development, community capacity building and whole-of-township planning in a complex and dynamic environment.

Our impact (icon)
Project impact

The Master Plan is being used to guide decision-making by Ngararriyal, communicate their aspirations to government and third parties, and to align the activities of other local organisations.