Building trust, shifting the narrative: A Community-Led Partnership Approach in Remote Western Australia
1
Goldfields University Department of Rural Health,, Curtin University, Kalgoorlie, WA, Australia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT:
Background. Leonora, a remote township in Western Australia's northern goldfields, faces interconnected social challenges including inadequate and culturally unsafe healthcare facilities. This organised session examines how partnership between Goldfields University Department of Rural Health (GUDRH) and Nyunngaku Aboriginal Corporation (NAC) enabled NAC to enact their community vision through a relationship-first research collaboration, underpinned by scaling deep, a novel approach, 1 enacted through the use of bricolage 2,3. Methods Over 12 months, GUDRH engaged in dedicated preparation and learning with NAC and Leonora community. GUDRH adopted Scaling Deep1—a practice embedded in relationships, emotional integrity, and systems-level transformation. Strategic practices included attending multiple workshops and participating in an NAC-hosted bush camp, deepening cultural understanding. These small-scale relational engagements fostered empathy and meaningful collaboration. Results Sustained relationship-building generated interconnectedness that disrupted harmful hierarchical structures, establishing trust and mutual respect between GUDRH and NAC. Through NAC-led processes, community-identified priorities emerged organically, centering local and traditionally marginalized voices in agenda-setting. This foundational work culminated in two commitments: joint establishment of the Leonora vision, including a Regional Community Collective Hub and formation of a circular economy and submission of a collaborative research grant application to document, through bricolage 2,3 processes shaping transformative community ecosystem emergence in Leonora will be captured. Conclusion This case study demonstrates the significance of unseen groundwork and temporal flexibility in creating conditions for change. The sustainability of the planned initiatives is scaffolded by the early community participation. Time invested in relational embedding is not preparatory—it constitutes the essential foundation for meaningful, community-led transformation.
Background. Leonora, a remote township in Western Australia's northern goldfields, faces interconnected social challenges including inadequate and culturally unsafe healthcare facilities. This organised session examines how partnership between Goldfields University Department of Rural Health (GUDRH) and Nyunngaku Aboriginal Corporation (NAC) enabled NAC to enact their community vision through a relationship-first research collaboration, underpinned by scaling deep, a novel approach, 1 enacted through the use of bricolage 2,3. Methods Over 12 months, GUDRH engaged in dedicated preparation and learning with NAC and Leonora community. GUDRH adopted Scaling Deep1—a practice embedded in relationships, emotional integrity, and systems-level transformation. Strategic practices included attending multiple workshops and participating in an NAC-hosted bush camp, deepening cultural understanding. These small-scale relational engagements fostered empathy and meaningful collaboration. Results Sustained relationship-building generated interconnectedness that disrupted harmful hierarchical structures, establishing trust and mutual respect between GUDRH and NAC. Through NAC-led processes, community-identified priorities emerged organically, centering local and traditionally marginalized voices in agenda-setting. This foundational work culminated in two commitments: joint establishment of the Leonora vision, including a Regional Community Collective Hub and formation of a circular economy and submission of a collaborative research grant application to document, through bricolage 2,3 processes shaping transformative community ecosystem emergence in Leonora will be captured. Conclusion This case study demonstrates the significance of unseen groundwork and temporal flexibility in creating conditions for change. The sustainability of the planned initiatives is scaffolded by the early community participation. Time invested in relational embedding is not preparatory—it constitutes the essential foundation for meaningful, community-led transformation.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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