Sharing our vision with Dja Dja Wurrung traditional owners
As part of progressing our plans to build the new New Medical Facility at our Prouses Road site, we invited representatives from Djandak – the commercial arm of Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation (DDWCAC) – to come and learn more about our plans for the facility on Wednesday, 15 February 2023.
Kenny Clarke, Djandak Business Manager and Nicky McNamara, Djandak Program Manager met with BDAC Staff, Alex Krombholz (Project Manager: Ontoit) and the architecture team from Billard Leece Partnership – headed up by Associate Director Tonya Hinde – to receive a briefing on the project and to tour the current facilities offered on site.
“As BDAC was founded to represent and provide services to the Dja Dja Wurrung community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents living in the Dja Dja Wurrung boundaries, it is vitally important that we ensure this new facility and its surrounds are culturally safe,” said David Gunn, BDAC Executive Director.
“The team at Djandak, are passionate about preserving and promoting Aboriginal heritage and tap into our deep understanding of Aboriginal lore and culture to deliver a range of cultural services,” explained Kenny.
“One of the services we offer at Djandak is to help organisations assess the cultural values of land, to bring language and stories to the space, as well as assist the project team to translate these into innovative and responsive design,” said Nicky.
Kate Heron, Landscape Architect with Billard Leece Partnership, said: “Our team is very excited to have the opportunity to work with Djandak to embed layers of Country into the landscape design to create a sense of wellbeing that also offers on Country learning opportunities.”
“The New Medical Facility is going to be a healing building and space, so we are appreciative of Djandak’s participation to help ensure it truly speaks to health and culturally healing for those accessing the services it will offer,” Alex Krombholz, Project Manager concluded.
