Yarralin Community Masterplan
Case Study
Location
Ngarinman
Yarralin is situated on the beautiful banks of the Wickham River, surrounded by Victoria Downs Station and located near Judbarra National Park and the Victoria River. Like many Aboriginal communities, it has evolved without a strategic long-term plan to guide its growth, leading to ad hoc development that does not meet community needs; proposals for facilities that seldom progress in a coordinated manner; and limited integration between land tenure arrangements and broader town planning requirements.
The community faces practical challenges—inadequate infrastructure and services, insufficient staff and community housing, and accessibility issues during the wet season when roads can be cut off. Despite previous planning initiatives, such as the 2010 Community Plan, the community lacks a cohesive spatial framework to implement its vision and move beyond the pattern of uncoordinated development.
What did we do?
The Fulcrum Agency worked with Walangeri Ngumpinku Aboriginal Corporation (WNAC) to develop a comprehensive Community Master Plan that would build upon previous planning efforts and incorporate both historical proposals and current community aspirations. This was accomplished through a community-led approach involving workshops, meetings, and extensive stakeholder interviews. The project cross-referenced new community input with the 2010 Community Plan to ensure continuity and respect for previously identified priorities. Additionally, it included an analysis of existing community assets, opportunities, and constraints. Once all this information was gathered and understood, the final step involved developing a series of Guiding Principles for all future development.
Community members were engaged in the project from inception, empowered with genuine agency and ownership over their collective future and the evolution of their Country.
What was the outcome?
The resulting Masterplan delivered the following:
- A structured framework to guide Yarralin’s growth and development over the coming decades
- A clear sequence of development priorities ensuring critical infrastructure and services are delivered first
- Flexibility to adapt to changing community requirements over time
- A comprehensive assessment of development constraints, including flood risk, soil conditions, cultural sites, and infrastructure capacity
- Recommendations for further detailed investigations to de-risk implementation
- A community-owned vision that complements the Township Lease negotiations while addressing broader strategic planning needs
This Masterplan serves as the roadmap for Yarralin’s development, ensuring that future growth aligns with community values while addressing practical infrastructure and service needs in a coordinated and strategic manner. Most significantly, community members were engaged in the project from inception, empowered with genuine agency and ownership over their collective future and the evolution of their Country.