Acknowledging cultural protocol on Warumungu Land is explained through the story at the heart of our constitution, the story of Julawarra and Gilygi. Julawurra the python who was the gyirda (rightful boss) of Jurnkkurakurr our sacred waterhole, and Gilygi the snake that came without permission from the west. Our Wingara (spiritual ancestral beings) created law to keep order on our Country. It was them that put these laws in place, and still today these laws keep harmony in our community. These Warumungu laws and customs came from our spiritual ancestral beings, on our Manu (country). Today we still practice these protocols, and they need to be acknowledged and respected by both cultures, Wumpurrarni (Indigenous) and Papulinyi (non-Indigenous), for us to work together in harmony.

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Tennant Creek, NT

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Culturally safe and climate-appropriate housing for remote Aboriginal communities

Wilya Janta is an innovative Aboriginal not-for-profit cultural consultancy that promotes community agency in the design and construction of housing in Indigenous communities.

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Neeshan Morton, Serena Morton Napanangka and Norman Frank Jupurrurla discussing the design of their home.

The remote housing challenge

Present-day houses in Tennant Creek and remote communities across the NT reflect ongoing failures in design, including poor thermal performance, lack of cultural consideration, overcrowding and insufficient maintenance. As a result, residents face health issues and financial hardships, often making difficult choices between paying expensive electricity bills for air conditioning and meeting basic needs, such as medication, food and education. Through culturally sensitive collaboration, design and building, Wilya Janta is pushing to define a new standard for housing in these communities.

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Nicole Frank’s home in Tennant Creek. Approximately 20 people live in this three-bedroom house, with family members sleeping on mattresses in the living room.

Our Work

Using a three stage timeline Wilya Janta is working with community and industry to build homes in Tennant Creek which will act as a feasibility study for culturally and climate safe housing. With proven viability and community expansion of the iterative model in Tennant Creek, Wilya Janta will seek formal partnerships with the NT Government and Community Housing providers to assist in broad adoption of the model for delivery of community directed housing.

Stage 1

Tennant Creek Housing Pilot
1–2 years

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Phase 1
Community & Site Engagement
Completed

The team at Wilya Janta, including architects from OFFICE, have met four times over the past 18 months in Tennant Creek to explore the relationship between the site and its surrounding environment, culture and community and to work with the founders on their design of their future homes. As aspects of the design progressed, the team worked with the Local Designers to explore the relationship between culture, environment, thermal performance, budget, materials, and ongoing maintenance.

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Phase 2
Design
Completed

The final design of the first home was completed after some tweaking in relation to the construction methodology to optimise cost effective construction processes.

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Phase 3
Construction
Commencing February 2025

Mixed construction methods as decided in the process of working with community around budget. Balance between prefabrication, modular and local materials to optimise costs.

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Phase 4
Review
Ongoing: Post Construction

Wilya Janta is developing collaborative relationships with peak organisations with leading expertise in evaluation. The Tennant Creek pilot will provide an opportunity to shape a comprehensive evaluation framework around the NT remote construction industry and broader housing performance indicators, from household to wider community indicators. Through Wilya Janta, the community will shape the evaluation agenda and lead much needed innovation in this space.

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Support Wilya Janta

Donate

We are seeking support to complete construction on the community led Tennant Creek Housing Pilot project, and to support the start-up phase of Wilya Janta Aboriginal Corporation.

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