RARE Projects

Darwin Regional Indigenous Advancement & CDEP Inc (DRIACDEP)

Community Café

Belyuen community is located approximately one hours drive from Darwin along the Cox Peninsula Road and ten kilometres from Mandorah where there is a frequent ferry service to Darwin. The Belyuen community is interested in establishing a community owned and operated café which would run in conjunction with the local store. The store is conveniently located near the highway and has a fully appointed kitchen and take away counter and a sheltered outdoor area which could accommodate tables and chairs. This provides the foundations for establishing the café that will provide employment and training opportunities to the local community. Future plans include a mobile coffee service, targeting the commuters using the ferry nearby. The preparation and provision of healthy meals for community members,  and catering are also considered opportunities for growth.

Bush Harvest

The Bush Harvest project was developed to provide specialist business support to NT indigenous social enterprises to increase the number of indigenous owned businesses generating income from small scale Bush harvest activities. It is about becoming self sustaining using traditional knowledge to harvest bush foods and create products suitable for the tourist and local market.  Bush Harvest requires support to identify revenue opportunities to ensure its long-term viability.

Gary Lang NT Dance Company

Gary Lang is a traditional Larrakia man with a passion and talent for dance. He performed with Bangarra Dance Company before returning to his community in Darwin with aspirations to start his own dance company. RARE students and staff are supporting Gary's vision to spread his passion for dance through education, performance and community engagement. There are various supportive stakeholders including DRIACDEP who are providing guidance and encouragement. The RARE project will develop a practical and accessible plan for the early stages of business development, in consultation with Gary and his stakeholders.

Aboriginal Bush Traders

Aboriginal Bush Traders (ABT) is an initiative of DRIACDEP, providing a retail outlet for community produced products (including bush foods, arts and crafts), and a tourism hub to connect indigenous operators with the Darwin's strong tourism market. RARE will support ABT's restructuring and strategic planning to strengthen its financial sustainability to ensure it can provide long term support and opportunities to the communities it works with.

Supported Accommodation

DRIACDEP (Darwin Regional Indigenous Advancement & CDEP Inc.) have a long history of delivering successful, innovative programs and projects that provide training and employment opportunities to the numerous indigenous communities in the region. The Ironbark Indigenous Accommodation Complex project aims to provide supported accommodation for indigenous people travelling from their communities to partake in training, internships or employment in Darwin. Three self-contained demountable cabins will be constructed by indigenous trainees, and a Caretaker/Support Worker will be employed to manage the facility and provide holistic support to its users. RARE students engaged with DRIACDEP will be conducting a feasibility study of the opportunities for such supported accommodation and demountable construction in the region. The project will require examination of markets, competitors, pricing, governance, logistics, capacity building, and business partnerships and alliances, amongst others. The study will also examine the venture’s integration into DRIACDE's existing operations, and how to maximise its community development and engagement impact. Students will have the opportunity to fly to Darwin to meet with key stakeholders, experience the social venture’s day-to-day operations and ensure their project stays aligned with the real contextual challenges and influences.