For the past six years, communities on Groote Eylandt have been developing their understanding of peacemaking and the role it can play in addressing fighting, arguments and disagreements.

The work has involved more than learning how to respond when conflict occurs. It has been about understanding the responsibilities of a community peacemaker, the importance of repairing harm and restoring relationships, and why local people must retain authority over how peacemaking is practised.

That experience is now shaping the next stage of community safety on the island.

Through a new six-month engagement, Peacemaking Australia will support the continuing development of local peacemaking practice alongside the establishment of a community Safety Patrol. The two services will remain distinct, reflecting a decision by communities to recognise their different responsibilities while strengthening opportunities for collaboration.

For Peacemaking Australia Principal Consultant Troy Degenhardt, who has been involved in supporting the development of peacemaking on Groote Eylandt over several years, the existing understanding of peacemaking is an important advantage.

“There has been a lot of work over the years to help people understand what peacemaking is, what a peacemaker does and why repairing harm matters. That understanding gives the community a different starting point. They already recognise the place of peacemaking, so the Safety Patrol can be developed with its own purpose and responsibilities.”

A different starting point for community safety

Community safety patrols are often established to respond to immediate concerns about fighting, arguments and public safety. In the absence of other recognised community processes, patrol workers can find themselves expected to manage ongoing conflict or resolve matters that extend beyond their intended responsibilities.

On Groote Eylandt, the development of peacemaking over the past six years provides an opportunity to approach those responsibilities differently.

Community peacemaking is already understood and used as a way of addressing conflict. Its focus extends beyond stopping an immediate argument to understanding the impact of harm, restoring a sense of belonging and helping prevent conflict from continuing or resurfacing.

The decision to maintain peacemaking and the Safety Patrol as separate services recognises that both have a place in community safety, without requiring either to assume the responsibilities of the other.

A Safety Patrol can contribute to immediate safety and prevention, while peacemaking provides a community-led pathway for addressing conflict and its continuing impact on people and relationships. Appropriate coordination and referral arrangements will help connect the services while preserving their distinct roles and safeguards.

“A patrol might help stop a fight or prevent a situation from getting worse, but that doesn’t necessarily address what happened between the people involved. Peacemaking has a different responsibility. The opportunity here is to make sure both services understand their role and can work together without losing that distinction,” Mr Degenhardt said.

Continuing a six-year journey

The development of peacemaking on Groote Eylandt has been supported by sustained local involvement and professional assistance, including training, expert advice, coordination and opportunities for practitioners to learn from one another.

Over time, this work has helped establish a clearer understanding of peacemaking as a community-led, culturally grounded and relational practice, rather than simply a process for settling disagreements.

An important part of that development has been the recognition that local authority and community ownership cannot be replaced by external expertise. Training and professional support can strengthen the knowledge, judgement and capability of practitioners, but the legitimacy and continuing direction of peacemaking must come from appropriate local authority.

Mr Degenhardt is now returning to Groote Eylandt through Peacemaking Australia to provide a more intensive period of support, working with the Community Justice Group and local practitioners to strengthen existing peacemaking arrangements and develop the complementary Safety Patrol.

The engagement will follow an embedded delivery model, with three weeks spent on the island and one week dedicated to planning, documentation, resourcing and reporting.

The work will include strengthening governance, clarifying responsibilities, developing operational procedures and establishing appropriate coordination and referral pathways. A facilitated community of practice and practical mentorship will support practitioners as they develop their confidence and capability through real community experience.

“The focus is on strengthening what is already here while helping establish the arrangements needed for the next stage. That means working alongside local people, supporting practitioners through real situations and making sure the systems and resources are practical for the community that will use them,” Mr Degenhardt said.

Looking beyond the life of the project

Although the current engagement will run for six months, its longer-term purpose is to strengthen the Community Justice Group and local practitioners’ capacity to sustain the work independently.

That includes supporting clear responsibilities, safe practice, working relationships and access to resources that remain useful beyond the period of direct professional support.

The development of the Safety Patrol may also provide opportunities for younger community members to become involved in local safety work, learn from experienced practitioners and contribute to the continuing growth of local capability.

For Peacemaking Australia, the engagement brings together professional training, mentorship, coordination and practice support with the local knowledge, relationships and authority through which both services will operate.

“The real outcome is not simply having a Safety Patrol operating or completing another round of training. It’s having local people with the confidence, capability and support to keep strengthening their own peacemaking and community safety practice long after this engagement finishes,” Mr Degenhardt said.

For Groote Eylandt, the next six months represent a continuation of work that has already taken years to establish.

The development of two distinct but complementary services reflects the value of that earlier investment in community understanding. It also provides an opportunity to strengthen community safety without losing sight of the relationships, authority and local knowledge that make peacemaking possible.