29/12/2025
Community Statement | Youth Justice Health Care at Banksia Hill
Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service has spent two years with two separate attempts working in good faith with the WA Department of Justice to develop an Aboriginal-led Model of Care for Aboriginal young people in youth detention, including at Banksia Hill. Our goal was clear: to close Unit 18 and ensure Aboriginal children and young people receive culturally safe, comprehensive health care, designed and led by a respected Aboriginal Medical Service, grounded in community governance, cultural authority, and lived experience.
Despite these efforts, the WA Department of Justice has now advised that it will not proceed with Derbarl as the partner in developing this model. Instead, the Department will move forward through peak bodies and independent advisers. This decision is disappointing and concerning for our team and community.
Derbarl is a proud Aboriginal Medical Service with a 52-year history of delivering high-quality, comprehensive primary health care to our community. We are nationally recognised for our leadership, governance, and clinical excellence. For us, Aboriginal-led reform is not just a slogan; it is how real change is achieved.
We know this decision may be disappointing for our community. Please know that your trust, support, and every voice are valued greatly. We are concerned by a continued “government knows best” approach, rather than genuine partnership with Aboriginal organisations to lead solutions for Aboriginal people. This runs counter to the principles of self-determination, Aboriginal-led reform, and the commitments governments have made under Closing the Gap.
We are also mindful of the ongoing risk that Aboriginal knowledge, models of care, and intellectual property—shared in good faith—may be used without Aboriginal control, authority, or consent. Aboriginal knowledge is not a free resource; it carries cultural responsibility, accountability, and community ownership.
Derbarl remains committed to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal young people in the youth justice system. We remain open to genuine engagement if the WA Department of Justice is prepared to work in true partnership, with Aboriginal leadership, shared decision-making, and respect for cultural authority at the centre.
This is what Aboriginal Community Control is about. National frameworks such as the National Agreement on Closing the Gap recognise Aboriginal community‑controlled organisations as central to effective, culturally secure service delivery.
Including and strengthening the community‑controlled sector is seen as critical to improving outcomes and embedding genuine partnerships between governments and Aboriginal communities, and it is extremely disappointing to see the WA Department of Justice seek to develop a model of care with peak bodies and independent advisers rather than genuinely working with the community-controlled sector who actually deliver services.
We will continue to champion Aboriginal-led solutions and carefully consider our next steps. Our community will be kept informed as we move forward. We thank our community for their continued trust and support. We greatly value every voice in our community and stand firm in advocating for Aboriginal-led solutions for our children and young people. We are resolute in our unified approach and working with our Noongar ACCO ally’s to improve outcomes for children and young people in the WA justice system.
