A drug and rehabilitation facility to be established in remote Australia is finally offering women battling addiction the chance to seek treatment with their family and on country.
Former prison the Yetta Dhinnikkal Centre sits on more than 10,000 hectares in Brewarrina in north-west NSW and has been vacant since its closure in 2020.
The property is now being handed back to the First Nations community for two vital purposes; to become a women's rehab facility and to be used by the Ngemba Traditional Owners for cultural and agricultural purposes.
The remote centre originally opened in 2000 as Australia's first prison exclusively for young Indigenous men and was a low-security facility where inmates were referred to as "trainees" and taught to farm.
The Orana Haven Aboriginal Corporation has taken on the role of turning the former prison into a rehab exclusively for women and will allow them to remain with their children while receiving residential care.
Acting chief executive Tracy Gordon said there was a serious shortage of services for women struggling with addiction.
"We've had numerous phone calls for a women's rehab as well calls to see whether we take all of the family as well," Ms Gordon said.
"We have eight beds in this area for women to get help with drug or alcohol dependency," Ms Gordon said.
"We provide detox for females but from there, they have to go away."
But those options do not always cater to women with children, an issue Ms Gordon said could have a massive impact on people's journey to recovery.
"They may not have support to take care of the children while they're doing the three-month program, but if we could put all of that into one, then we're also taking care of the children while the mother is getting healed," Ms Gordon said.
Land handed back to traditional owners
Thousands of acres have also been handed back to Brewarrina Aboriginal Land Council and Ngemba traditional owners.
The freehold land was purchased in a symbolic deal from Correctional Services NSW for $1.
Brewarrina Aboriginal Land Council chaIrman David Kirby said it was a watershed moment for First Nations people.
"What it really signifies for the state of New South Wales is the equivalent of what we saw at Wave Hill with Vincent Lingiari, the native title involved with the Eddie Mabo decision," Mr Kirby said.
Rehab will bring boost for entire community
Research shows First Nations' people with addiction issues have a higher chance of accessing help and having long-term recovery when they receive culturally appropriate care on country.
"We are encouraging and empowering our clients," Ms Gordon said.
"Some of the main issues that we're dealing with in these communities are legal, housing, identification and general health.
"If we're able to provide a facility that gives people back their identity, gives them back parts of their culture they have lost, they don't know or they haven't been taught, it just brings that whole family connection back."
Member for Barwon Roy Butler said providing desperately needed support for women and their families could also herald other benefits for Brewarrina.
"There'll be more jobs and more economic activity as a result of this than there were with the correctional centre," he said.
While a definitive timeline for the opening of the rehab facility remained unclear, Ms Gordon said Orana Haven was hoping to begin welcoming women from July 2023.
Community consultation is underway, with the rehabilitation centre expected to have about 24 beds for women and children.
