By Nungya Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Corporation

Urban First Nations health is not a side issue. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in major cities, including Brisbane and the wider South East Queensland region. That means any serious conversation about Closing the Gap, health equity, disability support, mental health, housing and family wellbeing must include urban communities as well as remote and regional communities.

For Nungya Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Corporation, this matters because our work sits in the everyday space where health and community life meet. A person’s wellbeing is shaped by more than a clinic appointment. It is shaped by housing, safety, income, transport, connection, culture, disability support, family stress, grief, racism, trust and whether people feel safe asking for help.

Today is a good day to talk about this because several current health equity conversations are happening close to home. The University of Queensland has recently warned that Closing the Gap is at risk without a stronger focus on urban Indigenous health. Metro South Health launched its First Nations Health Equity Strategy 2025-2028 in March. West Moreton Health has also opened consultation on its draft First Nations Health Equity Strategy 2025-2028, with feedback open until Tuesday 16 June 2026.

Urban Does Not Mean Easy

There can be a false assumption that health access is automatically easier in the city. Brisbane has hospitals, GPs, pharmacies, disability services, schools, public transport and specialist providers. But having services nearby does not always mean people can use them safely or easily.

For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, barriers can still include cost, transport, paperwork, long waits, racism, mistrust, lack of cultural safety, past experiences with institutions, family responsibilities and services that do not understand how health, culture and community fit together. A city can have many services and still leave people feeling alone.

This is why urban First Nations health has to be taken seriously. If systems only picture need as something that exists far away, they miss the families living beside them. They miss the men who are isolated in suburbs. They miss people with disability trying to understand complex pathways. They miss carers, children, Elders and community members who need culturally safe support close to home.

Health Equity Needs Local Voices

Queensland Health’s First Nations health equity approach recognises that Hospital and Health Services need transparent consultation and shared decision-making with First Nations development stakeholders, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health sector. That matters because health equity cannot be designed properly without the people it is meant to serve.

Metro South Health’s new strategy was developed through engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, staff, Elders, Traditional Owners and community-controlled organisations. West Moreton Health is now asking whether its own draft strategy has got the direction right, including how it can strengthen partnerships, improve access and embed equity into its work.

Consultation is only useful when it leads to action. Community members should be able to see how their feedback is heard, what changes as a result, and how services become more culturally safe in practice. Listening must be more than a step in a process. It has to shape what happens next.

Why This Connects To Nungya’s Work

Nungya is not a hospital, and we do not replace clinical care. Our role is different. We are part of the community support layer that helps people feel connected, respected and less alone. That layer matters.

A men’s shed can support wellbeing by giving men somewhere safe to go, something practical to do and a reason to keep showing up. Assistance animal support can be part of daily routine, confidence and independence for people navigating disability or mental health challenges. Community education can help families and supporters understand options. A trusted local organisation can make it easier for someone to ask a question before a problem becomes a crisis.

Those things may not look like health services on paper, but they affect health in real life. They can reduce isolation. They can strengthen routine. They can build confidence. They can help people feel known. They can make formal support less frightening by connecting people with trusted pathways.

Men’s Wellbeing Is Community Wellbeing

Urban health conversations must include men’s wellbeing. Men often carry pressure quietly. Some avoid asking for help until stress, grief, housing problems, family conflict, addiction, shame or loneliness have already become heavy. A culturally safe space can make a difference because it does not force every conversation to start with a problem.

Sometimes connection starts beside a workbench. Sometimes it starts with a small job, a shared skill, a dog sitting nearby, a cup of tea, or someone simply noticing that a man has not been around for a while. That kind of care can be quiet, but it is not small.

Nungya’s men’s shed work is about more than activities. It is about prevention, belonging and dignity. It gives people a place where support can grow naturally through trust.

What Supporters Can Do

Supporters can help by taking urban First Nations health seriously. Do not assume that city-based families have easy access just because services exist nearby. Ask whether services are culturally safe. Ask whether Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations are involved. Ask whether feedback leads to visible change.

You can also support Nungya’s practical work. Donations, materials, volunteer skills, introductions to respectful partners, workshop support, technology help and steady community backing all make local wellbeing work stronger. If your organisation wants to partner, start by listening and asking what is useful rather than arriving with a ready-made solution.

Urban First Nations health matters because Brisbane families matter. Local support matters because people live their lives locally. The strongest health systems are not only clinical. They are connected to community, culture, trust and the everyday places where people already gather.

If you would like to support Nungya’s men’s shed initiatives, assistance animals program or community wellbeing work, contact us at admin@nungya.com.

Further Reading

• University of Queensland: Closing the Gap at risk without urgent focus on urban Indigenous health
• Metro South Health: Launching the First Nations Health Equity Strategy 2025-2028
• West Moreton Health: Have your say on the draft First Nations Health Equity Strategy
• Queensland Health: First Nations health equity strategies directive