Before the foundations were laid for the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm, drug and alcohol worker Fred Monaghan would often transport young members of his community to indigenous rehabilitation facilities as far away as Queensland.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sometimes, they'd even beat him back to Canberra.
"You can take them to rehabs all over the country but once they're away from their community and support everything fails," the Ngunnawal man said.
"They come straight back here and they'll get locked up for some reason and back in the system."
Now construction is underway on the eight-bed bush retreat for drug and alcohol rehabilitation near Tharwa, Mr Monaghan says it's a step forward in reducing the incarceration rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
ACT Health Minister Simon Corbell joined Ngunnawal elder Aunty Agnes Shea in pouring ashes from a traditional smoking ceremony into a rammed earth wall on Thursday, one of four which will be the pillars of the bush healing centre.
He said the construction of the facility, expected to be completed by mid-2016, marked another step in the pathway towards reconciliation.
"It recognises that it was the Europeans who brought alcohol and drugs to the indigenous people of this country that caused so much harm and devastation for those peoples and it recognises that we need to heal that harm, directly, in terms of the individuals who are suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, as well as more broadly heal the connections that have been broken between indigenous people and their country," Mr Corbell said.
"Here in the beautiful Tidbinbilla valley we are creating a place which I hope will enfold people and allow them to heal in a way that connects them back to their culture and traditions and their understanding of land and country."
Co-chair of the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm Roslyn Brown said the location, nestled in a quiet valley, is spiritually healing.
"It doesn't only touch the Aboriginal spirit, it touches the human spirit, just the setting and the peace with no prison walls or suburbia around you. Everything has its place, it's more serene and calm for young people who are going through the healing process," she said.
She agreed there was a strong demand for a collaborative indigenous service in the ACT, drawing on family support networks and guidance from Aboriginal elders.
"It's about healing our youth and showing them a different path in life. Our people need healing, not jail," she said.
