Latest news with #HallsCreek
ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Queer communities in outback WA 'ready for change' with historic roadshow
When Jesse Cussen arrived in the remote West Australian town of Halls Creek more than a decade ago, they remember having to conceal parts of their identity. "I was 20 years old and I very much felt like I had to hide parts of myself and not experience my queerness," they said. This year Jesse, who is now based in Broome, returned to the town as part of the first Kimberley SBLGBTIQA+ Roadshow they co-facilitated with their colleague, Halina Kolatowicz, after they were approached by the state government. The term SBLGBTIQA+ encompasses "brother boys" and "sister girls", which are terms used within some Indigenous communities to describe transgender and gender-diverse people. "To go back there and find such an amazing group of passionate, open people who were really keen to start something special and create social change — I burst into tears," Jesse said. Halina recalled feeling isolated when she first arrived in Broome more than a decade ago. "[I was at] the developmental stages of even finding out my sexuality and my identity as a queer black woman," she said. As part of the roadshow, which was supported by Kimberley Blak Pride and Rainbow Futures WA, the pair travelled throughout the region consulting with more than 100 people, documenting the lived realities and aspirations of queer people across the Kimberley for the first time. "There was lots of isolation. People were [craving] connection," Halina said. "People would face homophobia and violence in rural towns. But there's also been a lot of celebration." With the Kimberley region being approximately twice the size of Victoria, they found every community was unique in its experiences and challenges. Sign up for ABCQueer's monthly newsletter, delivering the ABC's best stories and content for LGBTQIA+ folks and their allies. In some towns the pair heard stories of people being asked to remove pride flags from their workplaces. "Places like Broome and Kununurra have established pride festivals and communities have really been able to flourish and connect," Jesse said. "Other towns like Wyndham, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek particularly, there was really a profound silence when it came to queer issues and identities." The roadshow identified significant gaps in access and safety for queer people navigating the health and education sectors. "There's no support for teachers or practitioners, so that needs to change. We need training and development in policies and queer cultural awareness," Halina said. "One of the recommendations from the report is more support to develop whole-school approaches and provide cultural training for teachers and staff." The roadshow identified ongoing barriers for people accessing culturally safe and inclusive health care, especially for trans and gender-diverse people, with some doctors being uncomfortable prescribing hormone therapy. "We don't have people with expertise in queer health, that is a huge barrier," Halina said. A report will now be presented to the state government as part of the first LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Strategy that was announced last year. While the roadshow highlighted ongoing challenges, the pair found communities were ready for change. "There's still so much violence, homophobia, discrimination and fear — really it stems down to a lot of fear of the unknown," Halina said. Jesse said the Kimberley needed its own "bespoke approach". "One of the things we noticed was the queer community groups that are really eager to collaborate, to work with others and create change together," they said. "We have people who are already working with the rodeos and footy clubs in the East Kimberley and we'd love to do that in the West Kimberley." For Jesse, transitioning in Australia's far north-west has "not been straightforward". "I'm steadily trying to build more space where I can live my truth," Jesse said. "The roadshow was a really important part of that for me."
ABC News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Halls Creek left without football oval for second season as works delayed
One of outback Australia's most talent-laden footballing communities has been left without a safe football ground for a second consecutive season. Halls Creek, 3,000 kilometres north-east of Perth, is home to 3,600 people and has produced more than 10 AFL and AFLW footballers over the past decade. Scouts have flocked to the town's rough-and-tumble oval, where players like Shane McAdam (Melbourne), Jy Farrar (Gold Coast), Ash Johnson (Collingwood) and Sam Petrevski-Seton (Carlton/West Coast) got their first taste of football. But after months of delays to planned works, the oval remains unsafe for football. In a statement posted to the Shire of Halls Creek's Facebook page, chief executive Sue Leonard acknowledged the news was disappointing. "Due to the unfinished nature of the work, the oval cannot be used safely in any capacity," she said. "We acknowledge the delay is a significant setback for local footy teams, junior sports and many community members who rely on the oval as a central gathering and recreation space. "We want to reassure the public that the project has not been abandoned. "We are actively exploring all options to move the works forward." The local competition split from the wider East Kimberley Football League in 2023 due to the staggering travel distances local clubs faced. But the delays have made it hard for the fledgling South East Kimberley Football League to get up and running. The local competition remains a source of pride, fun and community connection in a region facing immense social challenges. Dennis Chungulla coaches the Yardgee Dockers, one of two teams based in Halls Creek, and said the prospect of another year with limited footy was very disappointing. Despite past violent incidents during matches, he said the games were important "family events". "The footballers are upset," he said. Halls Creek Hawks president Trish Mackay said the delay had seen players drift away from the community. "Some might have gone to Fitzroy [Crossing], some have definitely gone to teams in Kununurra," she said. Sport also provides an important outlet for local youths, with Mr Chungulla often bringing in young players considered "at risk" in the wider community. He said he was increasingly concerned about the impact another year without regular organised football would have. "Without activities like these, you have kids roaming around the streets," Mr Chungulla said. Ms Mackay said those who remained were desperate for footy to return. "I've always got to answer: 'Look at the oval, you can't play on that, so we've got no football,'" she said. "Football is a big part of their lives." Mr Chungulla would like to be on the sidelines cheering the players on with their families as soon as possible, but he is not sure when the oval will be ready to host Australian Rules games again. "We'd like to see something moving forward." Mr Chungulla said the delay meant Halls Creek, Yardgee and other community teams would need help getting the competition up and running again. In a social media statement, the Halls Creek Shire said it was engaging with the contractor — the second one since the works started — and could not provide any further details.
ABC News
25-06-2025
- ABC News
At the heart of Halls Creek's youth crime problem its children are hoping for solutions
As the setting sun turns the sky above Halls Creek red, Aldo Macale drives along the edge of town, waving at the young people and families he knows well. A couple of children jump on the back seat, giggling and thanking the Jaru man as they buckle up. As the Halls Creek Shire's sport and recreation manager he's offering lifts to the hall in town, 2,700km north of Perth, where the town's young people have gathered for a meeting. The goal, in a community where youth crime has been a perennial problem, is to get a sense from the kids themselves of what they need and want from their town. "I would like to have a big playground and a big shop we can shop at," says 10-year-old Charlotte, one of Aldo's five children. With a pen in hand and sustained by damper and stew, local kids are dreaming of big things for their home town. Marlee, 16, thinks even with the limited facilities available, Halls Creek is "pretty awesome". "Being on your land is good. You feel like you're at home and 'this is my Country'," she said. But the town has its problems, with overcrowding, poverty and crime affecting its young people. "Walking around … the big kids stealing cars and stuff," says a child under the age of 10 when asked what there is to do in Halls Creek. In recent months, the community was angered by a string of car thefts, while a break-in at the community's language centre prompted elders to call for change. WA Police data obtained under Freedom of Information shows that between December 2022 and July last year, 172 arrests were made under Operation Regional Shield throughout the Halls Creek sub-district. There were 232 burglaries recorded and 63 motor vehicle thefts over the same period in a town of around 3,600 people. Overcrowded homes, unemployment and chronic illness have all been listed as causes for youth crime. Youth crime is part of everyday life for many Halls Creek kids, but they don't want it to be normalised. "They think it's really cool until someone's going to get hurt but, yeah, it's not cool," Marlee says. It's sad and frustrating for the teenager. But like many other young people in town, she wants to be part of the solution. "They like to steal cars and steal from the shops," Charlotte explains. "[So] maybe put a fake car machine so they can feel like they are actually driving a car, but they don't actually have to take it." Shire chief executive Sue Leonard says youth voices are often overlooked in the Kimberley-wide efforts to assist at-risk children. "If you don't ask them, how do you create the environment that allows them to grow and be their best selves?" she says. Since he moved back to the East Kimberley with his family five years ago, Aldo has been not only listening but also supporting Halls Creek's kids. "I guess their dreams are big, but there are people in the community who can help them," he says. Aldo says even the young people facing complex challenges often have simple needs "of lighting the fire under a tree … telling stories around the campfire." "They like to come and just be a kid … the majority of them don't get that in their normal lives," he says. A new night place is set to open soon, giving local kids somewhere to gather after dark when most of the crime and other risky behaviour takes place. It will be modelled on the Fitzroy Crossing Night Place, which has helped to significantly reduce youth offending since it opened in the town earlier this year. Jungarni Jutiya Aboriginal Corporation will run the program in collaboration with other agencies, using funding from the Kimberley Juvenile Justice Strategy. "As of March last year, there were 28 [stolen vehicles in Fitzroy Crossing], and March this year it was three — that in itself speaks volumes," chief executive Lucy Navoka says. Jungarni Jutyia worker and mother Madrina Martin grew up in Halls Creek and remembers having more available to her as a teen. "They are most probably really bored, that's why the crime rate is high," she says. "We hope it's going to make a change in the crime, and hopefully we'll have kids happy to enjoy the night program." The key is consistency: the night place is the latest in a series of attempts to bring change to the streets of Halls Creek, after many programs have collapsed or failed to make an impact. Consistent funding, for both the programs themselves and the surrounding infrastructure, is the key for local leaders. "We need more housing and jobs that have a future for our young people," Sue Leonard explains. Sport looms large in the dreams of many local kids. Halls Creek has produced a string of AFL footballers, many of whom regularly return home to run clinics and inspire locals. But their immediate future will involve a common step for many children in town: heading away to boarding school. "I'll be schooling away," one 11-year-old says. He's joined by his friend, who plans to go to Sydney or Melbourne to study. Charlotte says she wants to stay in Halls Creek and her mum, Dilly Butters, who had left town, hopes more local capacity will mean her daughter won't have to leave. "What's wrong with being successful in your own town?" she asks. Chloe Mandijarra, 19, has just opened her own business through Job Pathways' Women's Hub and hopes it can turn things around for her family. "There was nothing much to do at home and not much money coming in," she says. "I wanted to do this because of my little brother and sister; they are the reasons why I started." Marlee also hopes to inspire other young people, starting from the kids at the local pool where she works after school, and who look up to her. "I really do hope Halls Creek gets better and the kids realise 'Oh, this is our home town'," she says.
ABC News
29-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Giulia Bertoglio
Most nights in Leonora are filled with the sound of basketballs hitting the concrete. It's the sound of a small outback town coming back from difficult times. 2h ago 2 hours ago Thu 29 May 2025 at 5:46am Kimberley man Brian John Leering, 22, will spend at least four years behind bars over the 2022 attack. Fri 16 May Fri 16 May Fri 16 May 2025 at 8:06am Police have charged a 26-year-old WA woman with the murder of a 28-year-old man in what they allege is a family violence incident. Mon 12 May Mon 12 May Mon 12 May 2025 at 4:49am The Easter weekend coincided with a rash of youth offending in Halls Creek, including car thefts and burglaries. Locals understand there is no quick fix to the ongoing issue and want community-driven action. Sat 26 Apr Sat 26 Apr Sat 26 Apr 2025 at 2:29am Emergency services say they will continue to monitor ex-cyclone Errol as it moves through the Kimberley, bringing welcome rain ahead of the busy tourist season. Sat 19 Apr Sat 19 Apr Sat 19 Apr 2025 at 12:09am An entire community helps bring to life a giant puppet show, telling ancient stories of creation, in Western Australia's northernmost town. Sat 5 Apr Sat 5 Apr Sat 5 Apr 2025 at 3:21am Police have confirmed the body of a missing man last seen swimming near Kununurra has been found. Tue 1 Apr Tue 1 Apr Tue 1 Apr 2025 at 1:24am A desperate search and rescue operation resumes for a man who went missing after swimming at a Kimberley waterhole. Mon 31 Mar Mon 31 Mar Mon 31 Mar 2025 at 7:03am Communities in Western Australia's north are on high alert for the risk of flooding as ex-Tropical Cyclone Dianne continues to move inland after crossing the coast on Saturday morning. Sat 29 Mar Sat 29 Mar Sat 29 Mar 2025 at 2:15pm WA police confirm they have found the body of a 79-year-old man who capsized while rafting in the Kimberley's Drysdale River. Fri 28 Mar Fri 28 Mar Fri 28 Mar 2025 at 8:10am The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says Tropical Cyclone Dianne is expected to form around 8pm on Friday evening off the Kimberley coast . Fri 28 Mar Fri 28 Mar Fri 28 Mar 2025 at 7:27am The family of a boy with autism who went missing from a remote Kimberley community on the weekend have thanked everyone involved in his safe return after a community-wide search. Mon 24 Mar Mon 24 Mar Mon 24 Mar 2025 at 7:52am Just 20 per cent of high school students attend classes in WA's Fitzroy Crossing. But there's a glimmer of hope at another school which is trying to keep more kids engaged in their education. Fri 21 Mar Fri 21 Mar Fri 21 Mar 2025 at 4:02am There are hopes a new farm will provide a critical supply of both food and jobs for locals in Western Australia's remote Ngaanyatjarra Lands. Sat 15 Mar Sat 15 Mar Sat 15 Mar 2025 at 12:44am Graham Umbulgurri has to crawl to get around his home. He's among numerous people living with disability in unsuitable housing. Thu 13 Mar Thu 13 Mar Thu 13 Mar 2025 at 6:06am A woman who killed a relative in a public park in Kununurra is sentenced to eight years and six months in prison. Mon 10 Mar Mon 10 Mar Mon 10 Mar 2025 at 6:40am With regional bank branch closures, language barriers and limited technology, accessing financial institutions is tough for many remote Indigenous communities. Advocates are calling on the sector to do more. Sun 2 Mar Sun 2 Mar Sun 2 Mar 2025 at 1:45am Kimberley youth worker Tremane Baxter-Edwards says politicians are ignorant of what's happening on the ground. Fri 28 Feb Fri 28 Feb Fri 28 Feb 2025 at 11:36pm Maryanne Undalghumen was charged with murder, but her police interview admitting to the act could not be used as evidence in the trial. Thu 27 Feb Thu 27 Feb Thu 27 Feb 2025 at 11:25pm The Liberal candidate for the Kimberley is criticised after describing break-ins at his business as "Welcome to Country". Wed 19 Feb Wed 19 Feb Wed 19 Feb 2025 at 8:51am Caroline Banton and Christian Barnaby help look after gravesites in Kununurra, 3,000km north of Perth and thousands of kilometres away from their residents' loved ones. Thu 13 Feb Thu 13 Feb Thu 13 Feb 2025 at 4:58am Court has not sat in the West Australian community of Balgo for more than a year due to escalating local tensions, but residents say the ongoing suspension is limiting their access to justice. Sun 9 Feb Sun 9 Feb Sun 9 Feb 2025 at 1:09am A 40-year-old Kununurra man accused of seriously injuring a woman with his vehicle before fleeing the scene has been granted bail. Tue 4 Feb Tue 4 Feb Tue 4 Feb 2025 at 7:09am One day of heavy rain has been enough to leave the popular Kimberley tourist attraction overflowing at its earliest point in the season on record. Tue 28 Jan Tue 28 Jan Tue 28 Jan 2025 at 1:05am Community leaders in Wyndham say the Albanese government's pledge to widen trade at the Kimberley town's port and boost infrastructure is well overdue. Fri 10 Jan Fri 10 Jan Fri 10 Jan 2025 at 11:21pm
