From Bidyadanga on Western Australia’s Kimberley coast to Davoren Park in Adelaide’s north, communities are driving change with an innovative approach that’s growing in impact across Australia – place-based solutions.
This is where governments and philanthropies like Minderoo work with local leaders, families, governments, service providers and community organisations to understand the unique strengths, challenges and opportunities that exist in specific areas.
Communities can then identify their own priorities and create their own plans to tackle them, leveraging the support of partners to build local capacity to drive the change.
This innovative way of supporting communities to thrive is at the heart of a $4 million dollar partnership just announced between the City of Kwinana and Minderoo to transform early childhood development outcomes and create lasting change for local children and families.
But it also signals a deepening of Minderoo’s commitment to ensuring place-based solutions are embraced across the nation.
“What makes this partnership exciting is that it builds on the City of Kwinana’s leadership and existing strengths across the community. By bringing together local government, families, service providers and community organisations, we can strengthen the systems that support children and create lasting impact,” Minderoo’s CEO John Hartman said.
“Minderoo is proud to back Kwinana’s ambition because we believe communities are best placed to mould the solutions that work for them.
The goal of place-based solutions is not simply to deliver programs, but to strengthen the systems and relationships that enable communities to thrive over the long term.
Rather than applying a one-size-fits all model, place-based solutions are shaped by the unique conditions of a particular area.
This method of community building came about because traditional, universal service delivery models, while important, are not reaching every family or responding effectively to local needs.
Across Australia, Minderoo’s Communities work has increasingly focused on place-based approaches, from the new partnership with the City of Kwinana just beginning to programs that are already well established.
This includes the Early Year Partnership between Minderoo Foundation, the WA state government and four partner communities to change early years outcomes for the better.
Together, we are working to improve the wellbeing and school readiness for children aged 0-4 in Armadale West, Central Great Southern, Derby and Bidyadanga.
EYP communities lead the development of evidence-based, co-designed community plans that build on their unique strengths, assets and knowledge to design and deliver impactful local programs and services, including:
Increased uptake of health checks for 1-2 year olds is driving higher participation in early years services in Armadale West.
Dental Health Project has expanded access to dental care in the Central Great Southern, reaching over 85 per cent of eligible children by taking screenings to parks and playgroups.
Ngunga Group Women’s Aboriginal Corporation progressing its vision to establish the Derby Early Learning and Family Centre supported by EYP investment and additional state, federal and Minderoo funding to deliver up to 48 long-daycare places for the First Nations community.
Meanwhile, Minderoo is partnering with the South Australian state government for the Children in the North Alliance (CITN), a 10-year partnership to improve outcomes for children in northern Adelaide.
Minderoo’s place strategy is built on a simple but powerful idea: lasting change happens when communities are supported to shape their own futures.
The role of Minderoo is to support, connect and invest in efforts that are led by community priorities. This means listening first, building trust, and creating the conditions for collective impact rather than imposing predetermined solutions.
This is what makes place-based solutions so powerful – the solutions they unlock are always different, but the core principle driving them never changes: that communities themselves are best placed to understand what works in their local context.
By combining local expertise with national and international evidence, place-based partnerships can unlock new ways of addressing entrenched challenges while amplifying what is already working well within communities.
Minderoo’s commitment to place extends beyond individual projects. It is part of a broader ambition to foster vibrant, connected and resilient communities across Australia.
Whether through early years initiatives, community participation programs or local leadership development, the focus remains on strengthening the social infrastructure that enables people and places to thrive wherever they are.
