An Aboriginal-led proposal for an on-Country diversion facility in the Kimberley has reached a major milestone this week with Marlamanu Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of KRED Enterprises, signing a funding agreement with the WA government to deliver a three-year pilot program for at-risk youth.

The program has been in the works for almost two years. Originally scheduled to begin in early 2023, significant delays raised community concerns about more young people going to the state's troubled youth detention facilities.

On Wednesday it was announced an operational model has now been finalised, with assistance from the Kimberley Development Commission and Department of Communities.

The Aboriginal-led diversionary program will be established at Mount Anderson station, approximately 123 kilometres southeast of Derby. The location was selected after significant flooding impacted the proposed site at Myroodah station last year.

This follows completion of the program's design which is aimed at providing up to 16 places per year for boys between 14 and 17. Work is underway with agencies, including Police, Communities and Justice, to refine the pathways for referrals to the program, including from the courts.

KRED Enterprises chief executive Damien Parriman said Aboriginal-designed and managed programs are "a key factor in how we are going to address some of the social issues that we see in the Kimberley and also other areas in Australia".

"Our program, we have a very strong focus on the individual; we want to understand the individual's needs and give them the opportunity to heal and reflect in a safe environment, and expose them to positive activities and changes," he said.

"We have an expectation the participants in our program will go on and make positive changes in their communities and be role models for younger people coming through.

"It is not a one-size fits all, this program will nto resolve all the social issues but it is a key step in that direction. There are other programs in the Kimberley looking for support and we encourage the WA government to look at those programs as well."

Mr Parriman said it was vital to gain an understanding of the health background, cultural background and educational background of youth.

"Implementing our strategies around social and emotional wellbeing, employment and education is really targetted at the individual. If we have the resources and the time allocated for that individual and their needs, that is something that has been lacking and has lead us to the situation that we see now," he said.

"We will have a staff consisting of educators, mentors, and a wrap around support from other organisations. It is a collaboration with other Aboriginal organisations in the Kimberley as well to make sure we are providing that individual with their needs.

"The social issues these young people are facing on a daily basis are quite extraordinary; coming from houses where there is overcrowding, substance abuse, domestic violence - we could get kids from the full breadth of those social issues or young people who are in a good environment but have strayed off their path. We are not limited... we are looking at where we can support young kids who are engaging in negative activities."

KRED Enterprises chair Rowena Mouda told National Indigenous Times the project came about from a group of Elders in the region looking at "how best we can support our young men that are not on the right path".

"One of the lead architects was the late Mr Brown who recently passed. He invested a lot of his knowledge and wisdom, and we really acknowledge the work and wisdom he shared around the importance of young men as leaders in our community," she said.

"It is a start, looking at ways to support our young men to stay on the right path, with whatever is going on in their home life and in the town environment this creates an opportunity to get away from the distractions the town environment has and become the young leaders they were destined to become for the Kimberley region.

"Our young men are our leaders, the next fathers, the next leaders of the community and we need to value that and look at the important role they play... this is really crucial, to ensure the young men are given the right support so they can be the best they can be in an environment that has a number of social issues and other factors."

On Wednesday the state government said it has been working closely with Aboriginal leaders and other experts since 2022 on the design of the Marlamanu program, which "provides alternative rehabilitation pathways and builds on cultural strengths".

The WA government has allocated $18.2 million towards the three-year pilot program subject to approval of the final infrastructure cost plan. It is now expected the facility will open in the second half of 2024, with construction and recruitment to commence in the coming months.

The on-Country facility is part of a cross-agency $40.4 million package which has seen a range of programs and initiatives rolled out to break the cycle of youth re-offending in the Kimberley. The $2 million Kimberley Community Action Fund has also delivered grants to 23 local projects to better engage youth and improve community safety over the next two years.

The rollout of Target 120 in Broome is established, with young people and families also engaging with Target 120 Plus, which supports a smaller cohort of at-risk youth who have already entered the justice system.

The government noted that the Kimberley Youth and Community Justice Response "builds on the $26.7 million the Government has already invested towards the Kimberley Juvenile Justice Strategy".

Kimberley MLA Divina D'Anna said she welcomed the WA government's commitment to the Marlamanu diversionary program.

"It's one of many ways our government is working with the community towards breaking the complex issue of youth crime in the Kimberley," she said.

"I am hopeful this program will help educate and empower young people in the justice system, by bringing them closer to culture and country.

"I believe with the right support, education and structured program, youth offenders in the region can get their lives back on track."

WA Regional Development Minister Don Punch said the government's commitment to the Marlamanu program "will give young offenders in the Kimberley a genuine alternative to detention".

"We are supporting the KRED vision of giving young offenders the option to participate in a structured program on a working pastoral station, where they can learn from indigenous role models to build relationships of trust and responsibility and benefit from skill development," he said.

"It's a very complex project in a remote location, working with vulnerable youth and their families, but I'm confident it's a positive step towards helping the community break the cycle of youth offending in the region."

WA Community Services Minister Sabine Winton said the Marlamanu program will provide an opportunity to facilitate a diversion program that is "genuinely locally led and Aboriginal owned, built on best practice and our own knowledge and skills in supporting our young people".

"The Cook government is focused on supporting communities to break the cycle of youth offending in our regions," she said.