Nyungar Birdiyia is a member of Team Agile, a group of specialist local planning and urban design firms convened to respond to the Western Australian State Government’s commitment to sourcing local expertise and Aboriginal business. In late 2021 DevelopmentWA appointed Team Agile to their Planning and Urban Design Consultant Panel.
Insight Urbanism Pty Ltd Director Brett Wood-Gush explained the rationale for the successful bid: ‘Planning and urban design techniques have always been at their best when focused on inclusion. That often gets lost in the procurement and delivery process. Team Agile has come together to work with the DevelopmentWA to deliver inclusive outcomes right from project inception. It is not about adding another layer; it is about being transformative, building agility and delivering with stakeholders. We know DevelopmentWA has been committed to this for a long time, and it is why we bid for the Panel with Nyungar Birdiyia.’
A press release under the heading ‘DevelopmentWA appoints a business with 65,000 years of experience to its Planning and Urban Design Panel’ (September 2021) Wood-Gush further explained:
“As part of specialist planning and urban design consortium ‘Team Agile’, DevelopmentWA has appointed Aboriginal business Nyungar Birdiyia to its Planning and Urban Design Panel. Led by respected Elder, cultural custodian and educationalist Neville Collard, Nyungar Birdiyia is pioneering new ways of integrating Noongar values and interests into the DNA of WA’s infrastructure and placemaking culture. Co-founded with internationally-renowned postcolonial writer and public artist, Paul Carter, Nyungar Birdiyia is committed to building collaborative opportunities between cultures, communities and government.”
Leading the ‘Team Agile’ consortium is Insight Urbanism, whose director, Brett Wood-Gush comments, “Nyungar Birdiyia’s work with METRONET, where they provided a suite of Noongar Cultural Context Documents and engagement guidelines impressed us. Previously, Neville and Paul produced great outcomes at Yagan Square and Scarborough beach. So, we were delighted that they wanted to partner with us. To our knowledge, this is the first time any Government agency has been able to appoint an Aboriginal business in this particular way.”
Brett sees many synergies of approach. He comments, “Our view is that inclusive outcomes have inclusive beginnings: ensuring the best place-making knowledge is recruited up front ensures procurement and design trajectories that are resilient because collectively owned We understand DevelopmentWA is actively building capacity to partner with Traditional Owners to deliver critical projects benefiting all Western Australians. Working with Nyungar Birdiyia, we are delighted to be able to contribute to this.”
Nyungar Birdiyia’s executive director, Neville Collard, captures the spirit of the collaboration when he advises, “Be generous with the people you’re working with – it’s important that we work together.”