Gängan homeland is a remote inland riverside community located in the East Arnhem region of the Northern Territory (NT). It is about 190km south of the regional centre of Nhulunbuy, 206km by road to Yirrkala and 900km to Darwin via the central Arnhem Highway. It is the ancestral land of the Dhalwaŋu clan whose moiety is Yirritja. Gängan is one of the largest of the 30 Laynhapuy homelands in East Arnhemland, and one of the first established by the traditional owners during the homelands movement from 1972 to provide a sustainable and independent future for their children on their ancestral country.

The first research visit to Gängan was undertaken from 23rd to 27th May 2022. Researchers conducted additional stakeholder interviews in Yirrkala on the 27th May. The RMIT University team worked with community research partner LHAC and co-researchers Djamika Ganambarr and Guruwuy Ganambarr, with support from Youth Program Manager Rachel Godley and LHAC CEO Kerry Legge. The team had a productive week undertaking surveys with residents and conducting interviews with agencies and community leaders in Gängan and Yirrkala. The researchers thank all residents and agency staff who participated in the research and made them feel welcome.

Based on 31 surveys and eight stakeholder interviews and discussions, this report outlines findings from the 2022 visit on access and use of media and communications, as well as the digital inclusion and service delivery challenges in Gängan and across the Laynhapuy homelands. This report is intended to assist local and regional agencies, including LHAC, East Arnhem Regional Council, Northern Land Council, as well as the Northern Territory Government (NTG), to better understand the key barriers to digital inclusion in Gängan and the region and community aspirations for the future. It is designed to provide a basis for a local digital inclusion plan, and to assist in identifying infrastructure and program needs to enable a targeted approach for advocacy with government and industry stakeholders. The report will be updated following research visits in 2023 and 2024.