The East Arnhem Regional Council (EARC) area stretches across more than 33,000 square kilometres, encompassing communities and homelands where access to veterinary services isn’t always easy – or even available.

That’s where local partnerships make a real difference.

Through its award-winning Animal Management Program (EARC – National Award for outstanding Animal Management Program) the council provides regular and remote veterinary services to its own six communities, ensuring consistency of animal care through the region. Furthermore the Aboriginal led council also works alongside Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to bring veterinary care, animal health advice and education to places that might otherwise go without.

It’s an approach based on a simple idea and a One Health approach: healthy animals, healthy people and healthy communities are closely connected.

Over the years, those partnerships have taken vets and animal health services across East Arnhem, from large-scale desexing and parasite control programs to animal health consultations and education programs.

Dr Madeleine Kelso BVSc, East Arnhem Regional Council’s Regional Manager for Veterinarian and Animal Control, said “As our Animal Management Program focuses on One Health principles, we have always strongly encouraged partnerships with stakeholders in the East Arnhem Region to promote broader animal welfare benefits beyond our jurisdiction. Due to financial and geographical constraints, many of the homelands we provide contracted veterinary services that would otherwise miss out on critical animal health services if we were not available to offer our assistance.”

One of Council’s longest-running partnerships has been with Laynhapuy Homelands Aboriginal Corporation, with services delivered across multiple homelands since 2019. The work has included desexing, parasite control and animal health consultations, as well as collaborative projects with Yirralka Rangers.

Council has also worked with Dinybulu Regional Services Aboriginal Corporation to deliver services in Yathalamarra, Wulkabimirri and Ngangalala homelands intermittently since 2019, providing desexing, parasite control and animal health consultations.

In 2019, a partnership with Marthakal Homelands and Resource Centre Aboriginal Corporation helped bring veterinary care and animal health education to Mata Mata, Rorruwuy and Nyinykay homelands.

More recently, Council worked with Arafura Swamp Rangers Aboriginal Corporation to provide animal health consultations and parasite control at Donydji, with further surgical veterinary visits planned.

For the council, it’s program is part of a broader One Health approach – recognising that the wellbeing of animals, people and the environment are interconnected. In 2023, the EARC Animal Management Program collaborated with Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation and AMRRIC (Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities) to organise and host the first East Arnhem One Health Workshop in the region. This workshop involved One Health discussions between stakeholders in the region to promote learning and knowledge transfer.

Across a region as vast as East Arnhem, strong local partnerships are what help turn that principle into practical care on the ground.

Originally post by LGANT: https://lgant.asn.au/caring-for-canines-cats-and-more-in-east-arnhem/
Image: Yirralka Ranger and East Arnhem Regional Council Vet Nurse. Image courtesy AMRRIC.