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Carnarvon Justice Reinvestment

Carnarvon, WA

Gascoyne Development CommissionGrowing recordPublic record

The Justice Reinvestment Carnarvon Common Ground Project is an Aboriginal-led, place-based justice reinvestment initiative in Carnarvon (Gascoyne region, WA), supported by the Gascoyne Development Commission and based around the Gwoonwardu Mia Cultural Centre.

Impact on the record

What the public record shows

Every figure carries the source it came from and a label for what kind of figure it is, so an evaluated outcome is never confused with a projection, a background number, or a figure from a related program. Most sites here were funded in the 2024 and 2025 Commonwealth rounds, and the first evaluations under the national framework begin from late 2026. An empty panel is an honest early-stage record, not a failure.

Context baselineSource confirmed2025

$1.4 million

Initial Commonwealth funding

In 2025, an Aboriginal-led community group were successful in gaining initial funding of $1.4 million dollars from the Commonwealth Government.

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Context baselineSource confirmed2026

further funding for at least the next 3 years

Continued multi-year funding secured

In 2026, the Carnarvon justice reinvestment project, now known as Common Ground Project, was successful in securing further funding for their project and Carnarvon for at least the next 3 years.

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Activity / outputSource confirmed2026

more than 200

Community survey responses

Community engagement has been delivered at a substantial scale, with more than 200 survey responses, extensive one-on-one engagement, multiple focus groups, two whole-of-community forums, a women's forum with more than 50 participants, and dedicated youth engagement through schools.

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Activity / outputSource confirmed2026

more than 50

Women's forum participants

a women's forum with more than 50 participants

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Activity / outputSource confirmed2026

8 community members

Community members completing Cert IV Leadership and Mentoring program

Capacity building activities have been implemented as planned, including successful completion of a six-month Cert IV Leadership and Mentoring program by 8 community members, ongoing staff induction, and professional development activities for the communications team.

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What runs here

Programs and approaches

Carnarvon Justice Reinvestment

Justice reinvestment initiative in Carnarvon, Western Australia, led by the Gascoyne Development Commission, funded under the Commonwealth National Justice Reinvestment Program (NJRP). Confirmed on the Attorney-General's Department list of funded justice reinvestment initiatives.

  • Justice Reinvestment Carnarvon Common Ground Project
  • Cert IV Leadership and Mentoring program
  • Throughcare Project (at Banksia)
  • Carnarvon Youth Hub and Safety Project (related GDC project)

The people

Who leads the work

  • Bernie Ryder

    Elder (guided the WA Governor through the Gwoonwardu Mia exhibition during the project visit)

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  • Timothy Bray

    Chief Executive Officer, Gascoyne Development Commission (named in WA Parliament Estimates Committee, 2 July 2025)

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The arc

How this site came to be

  1. 2023

    Justice Reinvestment Carnarvon Common Ground Project commenced as a community-led initiative in response to crime and youth-related issues in the Gascoyne region, supported by the Gascoyne Development Commission.

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  2. 2024

    Carnarvon (WA) selected as one of ten community-led justice reinvestment initiatives to secure Commonwealth support, following assessment by an independent panel, under the national $79 million / up to 30 initiatives program (announced April 2024).

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  3. 2025

    Aboriginal-led community group secured initial Commonwealth funding of $1.4 million; negotiated workplan with the Commonwealth and secured staff and premises.

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  4. 2025

    WA Governor His Excellency Chris Dawson and Mrs Darrilyn Dawson visited the project at Gwoonwardu Mia Cultural Centre, guided by Elder Bernie Ryder (Government House article, 26 March 2025).

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  5. 2026

    A formal Commonwealth Government review early in 2026 found community engagement delivered at substantial scale and capacity-building activities implemented as planned; project secured further funding for at least the next 3 years.

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In the record

News and reports

About this page

This is a public record built from sources in the open, not yet a profile the community holds. Gascoyne Development Commission is the editor of record once it claims this page. When a site claims it, the community decides what the world sees, names its own people, and publishes its own figures. We can stage a page. The community publishes it.