September 2020

Aboriginal ranger program recipients announced

Posted: September 29th, 2020

YMAC would like to congratulate successful recipients in our representative areas, who have received funding as part of the State Government’s ‘Aboriginal Ranger Program, Round Three’.

Nyamal Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation, and Bundundea Aboriginal Corporation – joint with Yullela Aboriginal Corporation, have received funding to employ and train rangers to carry out land and sea management, and tourism activities on Country.

They will share in the more than 4.7 million which has been distributed across 10 projects.

Overall, the grants will create employment and training opportunities for Aboriginal people in regional and remote communities. It follows funding of almost $16 million over the first two rounds of the program.

Click here to view the government media statement.

To view the map of successful round three recipients click here.

Information Sessions – Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill 2020

Posted: September 10th, 2020

The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill 2020 is now open for public consultation. This new legislation will replace the outdated Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972.

The Government intends to introduce the Bill into State Parliament before the end of 2020, so now is the time to have your say before the 9 October deadline.

Information sessions will be happening around WA.  Click here to view  a PDF of the the session dates, times and locations or to view online click here. You can also submit your feedback online or in writing. Visit the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage for more information about the review process.

Gilghi wins second innovation award for 2020

Posted: September 9th, 2020

Gilghi has been awarded the Good Design Award Winner in the Social Impact category at the virtual Good Design Week awards ceremony held on 8 September 2020.

The annual Good Design Awards signify the pinnacle of Australian industry’s design and innovation. Pilbara Solar (PS) congratulates Gilghi project partners Ampcontrol  and Aurecon on their second award for this year. In February they won the NSW Water Infrastructure Project Innovation Award and in 2019 Gilghi won the Hunter Business Award for Excellence in Innovation and the Lake Macquarie Business Excellence Award for Innovation.

The off-grid water treatment solution is designed for remote applications for both industry and remote communities. The water treatment uses a standalone hybrid power supply consisting of solar photovoltaic panels, a back-up diesel generator and battery storage, and is a portable unit that can produce up to 28kL of potable water to above Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

The Good Design Awards jury praised Gilghi.

“A great solution and potentially a massive market across the globe. This off-grid containerised water treatment solution has the potential to make a significant impact on the lives of people who rely on groundwater for their main water supply……This is such a beautiful example of good design that makes our world better. Well done.”

PS is the sole distributor of Gilghi in the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne regions of West Australia  –  for more information click here.

MEDIA STATEMENT: YMAC welcomes release of draft Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill

Posted: September 2nd, 2020

YMAC has welcomed the release of the draft Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill 2020 by the State Government today for consultation.

“We will be taking the time to go through the draft, but right now our main priority is to ensure that Traditional Owners and Aboriginal groups have the appropriate timeframe to review the bill in detail,” YMAC CEO Simon Hawkins said.

“Above all this bill will impact Aboriginal people. We want to ensure they have time to absorb the proposed bill, and the impact it will have on them,” he said.

“YMAC made a submission to the Juukan Gorge inquiry about the issues with the current Aboriginal Heritage Act (1972), and we want to see that these have been addressed in the draft bill so that Aboriginal people have the power to protect their heritage now and in the future.”

To download the media statement click here.