Maranguka: A case study for ANZSOG’s project on co-governance and trust in government

The objective of this case study is to examine co-governance, its interaction with trust and power relations as they relate to Maranguka, using documents which are in the public domain. This is part of a larger project for ANZSOG focusing on co-governance.

The Maranguka initiative in Bourke, New South Wales, is a community-led initiative aiming to improve social outcomes for Aboriginal families. The initiative exemplifies a transformative approach to collaborative governance (co-governance), addressing systemic inequities in Aboriginal communities through justice reinvestment. By shifting the focus from punitive measures to community-led solutions, Maranguka has redefined power dynamics, strengthened trust, and fostered alignment between community, government, and non-government stakeholders. The initiative’s culturally anchored governance framework has achieved significant social outcomes while driving systemic change.

This report explores the evolution of Maranguka’s co-governance framework, focusing on how the initiative tackled systemic barriers, enhanced data-sharing practices, and institutionalised cultural leadership to achieve its goals. At its core, the initiative is led by the Bourke Tribal Council, supported by the Maranguka Cross Sector Government Implementation Group, which facilitates cross-sector collaboration to align resources and efforts with community-defined priorities.

Throughout this report, we distinguish between ‘data’—the raw figures collected across agencies—and ‘data insights,’ which represent the interpreted, contextualised outputs used to support collaborative governance. This distinction reflects the crucial role of local interpretation, narrative triangulation, and analytical work in transforming data into meaningful insights for decision-making.

A summary of ANZSOG’s project on co-governance and links to its other outputs can be found here.