St John NT and Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation will come together on Thursday, 1 October to formalise a new partnership focused on strengthening culturally safe healthcare access and delivery.
The partnership will also seek to improve community engagement, enhance workforce capability and foster positive relationships that benefit Aboriginal people, particularly residents of the Mparntwe/Alice Springs Town Camps and broader Central Australian communities.
The partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 17 September and will be celebrated by both organisations at a community event at the Civic Centre Lawns on Thursday 1 October, with members of the community invited to attend.
St John NT Chief Executive Officer Abigail Trewin AM said the partnership would create practical opportunities for both organisations to share their expertise and learn from each other.
“Providing the best emergency healthcare is more than clinical skills. It is also about trust, communication and understanding the communities we serve,” Ms Trewin said.
“Tangentyere Council brings enormous cultural knowledge, experience and connection to community, while St John NT can share emergency healthcare knowledge, training and education.
“By working together, we can build stronger relationships and create safer, more positive interactions for our communities and our frontline ambulance personnel.”
Under the agreement, St John NT will provide opportunities for First Aid and emergency healthcare education, while Tangentyere Council will provide cultural awareness and cultural safety training, community engagement education and local cultural guidance.
The partnership will also explore opportunities for Tangentyere Night and Youth Patrol employees to spend time with St John NT ambulance crews, building greater understanding of each organisation’s roles and challenges and strengthening relationships between frontline healthcare providers and Town Camp residents.
Tangentyere Council Chief Executive Officer Walter Shaw said the agreement would provide an important foundation for building stronger, culturally respectful relationships between Aboriginal communities and frontline healthcare services, while fostering greater understanding and collaboration.
“This partnership brings together our cultural knowledge, connection to community and understanding of the needs of Aboriginal people with St John NT’s emergency healthcare expertise,” Mr Shaw said.
“It is about genuine two-way learning, building trust and understanding, and working together with community to support culturally safe services and improve the health, safety and wellbeing of our community.”
Both organisations will commit to ongoing engagement, shared learning and collaboration, with the partnership founded on mutual respect, cultural integrity and recognition of the importance of Aboriginal community leadership in shaping culturally safe and effective service delivery.
Community members, stakeholders and supporters are invited to attend the partnership launch on Thursday, 1 October 2026, from 11am–1pm on the Civic Centre Lawns, Alice Springs.
The event is proudly supported by Alice Springs Town Council.
