Weekly gatherings at the Tiraapendi Wodli Hub, Port Adelaide
The Port Adelaide Local Drug Action Team (LDAT) runs weekly gatherings for Aboriginal men and women at the Tiraapendi Wodli Hub, supporting people to build cultural connections and learn about local health and support services.
The LDAT has delivered several Community Action Plans (CAPs), aimed at preventing and reducing alcohol and other drug harm among Aboriginal community members.
It’s led by Red Cross Port Adelaide, in partnership with Tiraapendi Wodli, and supported by local organisations including Port Adelaide Enfield Council, Ocean View College, Flinders Wellbeing Centre, Uniting SA and Anglicare’s The Arches Bail Accommodation Service.
Why the LDAT runs gatherings at the Hub
The LDAT mainly works with people in the Port Adelaide Enfield Council area, but people also travel in from places such as Port Augusta, Ceduna and further south.
Many people who come to the Hub’s gatherings are leaving the justice system and facing financial and social pressures. They might be lonely, feel disconnected from culture and community, and be unable to get the support they need. These are all known risk factors for alcohol and other drug harm.
The LDAT’s Red Cross spokesperson, Simon Talanskas, explains that negative experiences over time have left a lot of mistrust of services in the Aboriginal community, which adds to this disconnection.
“Quite often, Aboriginal people will go to a service and hear: ‘no’.
“It’s rejection after rejection. By the time they come to the Hub, they’ve heard ‘no’ quite a few times.
“So, we say: ‘do you need something to eat… what’s your story?’ We have a conversation, and we can refer them on to a service that we have a relationship with
How the weekly gatherings work
Building trust and creating a space where people feel safe is key to the program.
The weekly gatherings are a safe place for Aboriginal people to come regularly. People can ask for help with anything from a bus ticket to get to an appointment, to crisis support. They can also learn from guest speakers and services. Recently, for example, a psychologist from Flinders Wellbeing visited the Hub.
“For the men’s gathering, we start with a big breakfast together and then we sit down and have an informal yarn about services that are available to them, from financial counsellors, legal services, and health services.”
Sometimes, it’s the first proper meal someone’s had that week. But more than food, it’s a place where men can sit together, feel respected, share yarns, share stories. It’s giving people that basic dignity. Simon Talanskas, Port Adelaide LDAT
Simon says people often feel relaxed and at home at the Hub. Photos of participants and events are up in the kitchen, so people often see themselves or a family member when they walk in.
“Once people do start to open up, there might be a range of crises that need addressing. The men’s gatherings are a good introduction to the Hub – then as people get more comfortable, they can connect with staff to get the support they need.”
To reach more people, the LDAT also holds bigger celebrations through the year, such as street barbecues, with a focus on cultural connection.
Results and advice from the Port Adelaide LDAT
What the LDAT achieved
The LDAT is now delivering its fourth CAP on this project.
When it started, two or three men came to the weekly gatherings. Numbers grew quickly, with up to 35 now attending each week.
Last year, the LDAT organised eight community-led sessions and events about alcohol and other drug use, family disconnection, parenting, relationships and trauma. It had aimed to host four, but added more because of demand.
Events included:
- a community celebration and barbecue
- Reconciliation Week yarning circles
- a trip to Ngarrindjeri country and Victor Harbor
- a Riverland trip to meet an Aboriginal women’s group and attend a cultural day
- fire-pit yarning circles with intergenerational storytelling
- Nunga Week, including a Tiraapendi Wodli Awards celebration
- a women’s healing workshop
- a Christmas celebration.
More than 100 people attended, almost double the target of 60.
The LDAT’s latest CAP evaluation shows that 88% of people who attended a community celebration said it added to their sense of connection to community and culture, a strong protective factor against alcohol and other drug harm. And 83% said it added to their sense of connection to local Aboriginal community and culture, above the target of 70%.
One young person shared their thoughts after a fire-pit yarning circle, where they connected with Elders.
“I’ve never done anything like this, to continue to learn about my culture from others would be great to do every term.”
Another community member said it was important to have events that celebrate families and communities.
“Usually, the only time we come together is for sadness at funerals. This reminds everyone, and especially our kids, that we can be proud and laugh and celebrate who we are too.”
The Hub often hears how the LDAT’s activities have turned lives around.
“The best example was of one woman who was homeless and with substance use issues. Over a two-year stretch, she’d come into the Hub regularly. We just kept planting that seed about rehab and how it could help her turn the corner,” said Simon.
“It took three or four goes before she successfully finished a rehabilitation program. Then a year or two down the track, she got work and her own house.”
The impact went beyond her to her family too.
“Then, she referred her family here. I think by the end of that four- or five-year process, she was able to support about 19 people in her family. There truly is that ripple effect. When you can give people the skills and confidence to build themselves up, then they can pass it on to friends and family and keep the momentum going.”
Advice for other LDATs
In mid-2025, the Port Adelaide LDAT was celebrated at the launch of the 2025 LDAT Showcase Report (PDF) at Parliament House in Canberra.
Simon said it was a privilege to tell his LDAT’s story, and he hoped his insights would encourage others to try a similar approach.
He emphasised that prevention is the right approach for LDATs.
“If we can educate and show communities how to make the right choices, it does break the cycle and does make lives a lot easier. It opens up opportunities for families, education and whatever they are striving for.”
He also stressed that working with local partner organisations is vital. The Port Adelaide LDAT truly works as a team.
“We can’t do it ourselves. A big thing we do is system navigation – linking people in with the right service.
“It’s an honour as a non-Indigenous person to work in the space. The majority of our team is Aboriginal, so to be able to walk alongside community to support them through some pretty vulnerable situations is truly humbling, as well as helping other stakeholders to support Aboriginal communities.”
Last reviewed: 30 October 2026