Country, Culture, People, Future

March 2021

Guides to assist navigating Native Title Act changes available

Posted: March 31st, 2021

On 3 February 2021, the Australian Government passed the Native Title Legislation Amendment Act 2021. This Amendment Act makes changes to the Native Title Act 1993 and the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006.

To support the Amended Act the Government also made changes that affect Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs) in the Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate Legislation Amendment Regulations 2021.

The changes require PBCs to amend their rule books to reflect the changes to the law. The starting date for these changes is 25 March 2021, and PBCs have two years to amend their rule books.

The amendments fall into three broad categories:

  • Measures that streamline PBC decision-making;
  • Measures that increase the transparency and accountability of PBCs to common law holders; and
  • Measures that assist with the management and resolution of post-determination disputes.

Documents to assist PBCs navigate the changes can be found on the NIAA website at Changes to Native Title legislation affecting PBCs

For information on the other changes in the amendments to native title legislation click here

Have your say on achieving better financial outcomes for ATSI peoples and communities

Posted: March 24th, 2021

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC’s) Indigenous Outreach Program (IOP) is now engaging in community consultations across WA, to support the development of the ASIC Indigenous Roadmap – a program that aims to support better financial outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are encouraged to register and participate in these online consultations to guide ASIC in the development of the ASIC Indigenous Roadmap, to ensure your voice and experiences are heard.

What is ASIC’s Indigenous Roadmap?

ASIC has been working with Professor Robynne Quiggin, of UTS Sydney, to explore the distinct experiences and opportunities for Indigenous Australians when it comes to engagement with the financial industry and system. This understanding will assist ASIC’s Indigenous Outreach Program to support better financial outcomes for Indigenous peoples and communities.

Professor Robynne Quiggin and ASIC’s Indigenous Outreach Program have undertaken to develop an ASIC Indigenous Roadmap as part of this work.

The Roadmap will focus on:

  • ensuring Indigenous values, lived experiences and aspirations are at the heart of ASIC’s work and the work of ASIC’s Indigenous Outreach Program;
  • enabling Indigenous Australians’ freedom to achieve lives based on values, priorities and aspirations held by Indigenous peoples and communities;
  • collaborating with stakeholders to progress better financial outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

The ASIC Indigenous Roadmap will support ASIC’s vision for a fair, strong and efficient financial system for Indigenous Australians, and all Australians.

How can you get involved?

Community consultations will be held online via Zoom on 29 March, 30 March or 1 April. Participants from the following regions can register using these links:

Monday, 29 March – WA – Kimberley and Pilbara Regions
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/asics-indigenous-roadmap-virtual-community-consultation-tickets-146532272973

Wednesday, 31 March – WA – Gascoyne, Goldfields-Esperance and Mid West Regions
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/asics-indigenous-roadmap-virtual-community-consultation-tickets-146533125523

Thursday, 1 April – WA – Perth, South-West, Great Southern and Wheatbelt Regions
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/asics-indigenous-roadmap-virtual-community-consultation-tickets-146533334147

Need More Information? If you have any questions about the ASIC Indigenous Roadmap or the community consultations contact ASIC direct at Indigenous.Roadmap@asic.gov.au

Be counted to make a difference in the 2021 Census

Posted: March 23rd, 2021

Counting you will make a big difference to what happens in and for your community. So please make sure you count yourself in on the 2021 Census on 10 August.

Every five years, the Australian Bureau of Statistics counts every person and home in Australia. This is called the Census of Population and Housing. This year, the Census is on Tuesday 10 August.

The information you provide is used to inform important decisions about transport, schools, health care, infrastructure and business.

It also helps plan local services for individuals, families and communities. For example, knowing the number of people living in regional and remote areas informs where doctors are needed, and understanding local births and languages spoken at home links Australians to the community services they need.

There are also job opportunities to help communities be counted.

Apply now at: www.abs.gov.au/census

Register now for the AIATSIS Summit 2021 (31 May – 4 June)

Posted: March 22nd, 2021

On 31 May – 4 June 2021, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) will be hosting a joint National Native Title Conference and National Indigenous Research Conference in Adelaide, South Australia.

Applications for those seeking financial assistance to attend the event are now open.

The theme of the conference this year is Footprints for the future – Tracking our journey together, and the event will provide a unique space to discuss challenges and opportunities specific to First Nations peoples with the goal of supporting and strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge and governance.

AIATSIS has secured sponsorship funding to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to attend the event as speakers, facilitators and delegates, with limited funds also available for those interested in attending.

To find out more about the event and to register, visit the 2021 AIATSIS Summit event site here: https://aiatsis.gov.au/2021-summit

Otherwise, Indigenous sponsored delegates can register here: https://aiatsis.eventsair.com/summit21/isda/Site/Register

Registrations close COB 26 May 2021, with applications for Indigenous sponsored delegates closing on 31 March 2021.

2021 Close the Gap Report released

Posted: March 19th, 2021

The 2021 Close the Gap report, Leadership and Legacy Through Crises: Keeping our Mob Safe, has been released, and it calls upon all levels of government to take action on improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

In the report – released by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on National Close the Gap Day – AHRC recognises that in order to achieve positive and sustainable outcomes, governments “must be led by, and invest in, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander solutions”. The report makes 15 recommendations to government, including:

  • Fully implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart and a constitutionally enshrined First Nations Voice
  • Raising the age of criminal responsibility immediately and nationally, from 10 years old to 14 years old
  • Implementing the recommendations in the landmark Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Woman’s Voices): Securing Our Rights, Securing Our Future report to enhance the lives of First Nation women and girls
  • Establishing greater environmental and heritage protections for sites that are sacred or culturally significant
  • Prioritising truth-telling and healing processes to strengthen the resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to stop the ongoing impacts of racism and intergenerational trauma

Other recommendations include encouraging young climate leaders and promoting strengths-based, community driven approaches to delivering better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

To read the report in full, visit the AHRC website here.

Learn more about the Close the Gap Campaign on the ANTaR website.

2021 Leadership WA Foundation Scholarships: Regional Aboriginal Leadership Development

Posted: March 17th, 2021

Applications for the Regional Aboriginal Leadership Development Scholarships’ 2021 ‘Rising Leadership Program’ are currently being accepted (closing Monday, 19 April 2021).

The Regional Aboriginal Leadership Development Scholarships, supported by Lotterywest and the Leadership WA Foundation, are supporting regional Aboriginal participants to attend the ‘Rising Leadership Program’ (consisting of ten one-day workshops to be held between July through December 2021).

The scholarships enable participants to develop leadership skills and capabilities to re-invest back into their local communities. This will create even further positive impact upon regional WA and Aboriginal communities and businesses. In addition, the experiences, skills and cultural insights learned will act to educate and develop fellow cohort members, building further shared understandings.

The ‘Rising Leadership Program’ equips mid-level professionals from all sectors and industries with the tools to become authentic and effective leaders in the workplace. It guides participants on how to build their potential through personal growth, and helps them understand the essential skills required by future leaders. The program aims to provide participants with the frameworks, tools and relevant resources to help them on their journey to becoming effective leaders. This is achieved by introducing practical strategies and theories to develop professional leadership.

Interested ‘Rising Leadership Program’ participants can register via Leadership WA’s application form.

Please note, the Leadership WA Foundation scholarships cover the organisational fee ($7,150), as well as related travel and accommodation costs for participants to travel to Perth to participate in the program. The scholarships do not cover the personal fee ($660), as this represents the applicant’s self-investment. However, this fee can be covered with a payment plan, if required.

If you would like to know more about this opportunity, please visit the program’s webpage, or contact Leadership WA at (08) 6381 6700 or connect@leadershipwa.org.au.

If you would like to know more about other upcoming scholarship and program opportunities offered by Leadership WA, please check out this brochure, or visit their website.

 

Native Title Report 2021

Posted: March 16th, 2021

There is still time to contribute to the Native Title Report 2021 to influence native title reform.

The survey will be open until Friday 19 March.

The Native Title Report 2021 will focus on women’s voices and stories about their experiences in the native title system. The report, which will be tabled in Federal Parliament, will inform the Government in its native title reform agenda as well as those in the sector who play a role in advocating for change.

There are 3 ways to contribute:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with experience in the native title system are invited to complete a survey. The survey will now stay open until 19 March 2021. The survey is smartphone-friendly.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and all other people and organisations with experience and expertise in the native title system are invited to make a submission. This is an opportunity to provide more detailed information than the survey. The guided submission is also open until 19 March 2021.
  • You can also upload your own document as a submission, or email us your comments directly at nativetitle@humanrights.gov.au  There are PDF and Word versions of the submission available on the Have Your Say webpage to assist you if needed.

Scholarship opportunity for Indigenous Business Leaders

Posted: March 14th, 2021

The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) is offering scholarship to 20 Indigenous leaders to attend the Company Directors Course Online program and receive free membership with the AICD for one year.

The course is designed to help experienced directors, executives and leaders develop a deeper understanding of governance issues and improve their performance, and will be delivered through both online and offline learning.

Applications are encouraged from people who:

  • Identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.
  • Have experience as a director, senior executive or senior leader within an organisation.
  • Possess the ability and desire to contribute as a board member in the future.
  • Can outline the benefits of completing the program for themselves, their organisation and/or their community.
  • Can commit to undertaking the Company Directors Course Online™, commencing Friday 4 June 2021.

Scholarship applications close on Monday 22 March 2021.

To learn more about the course and apply for the scholarship, please visit the AICD website here: https://aicd.companydirectors.com.au/education/scholarships

Further enquiries can be sent to Scott Dickson before the application deadline.

International Women’s Day 2021

Posted: March 8th, 2021

On Monday 8th March the world and YMAC celebrates International Women’s Day 2021, a global day that recognises the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

The theme for International Women’s Day this year is, ‘Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World’. While the COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to be a challenge for organisations and individuals across the state, YMAC has witnessed an inspiring display of unity, professionalism and dedication within our organisation and from individuals within the areas YMAC represents.

YMAC is fortunate to experience first-hand the outstanding work of women leaders across the state in contributing to a more equitable reality for Indigenous women. Women play a vital role in strengthening culture and Country. We want to acknowledge and celebrate the women who contribute across all levels of our organisation, embracing the pathways to leadership. From our business trainees who have excelled to senior positions; rangers caring for Country; YMAC’s Committee and Board members who drive the direction of the organisation and how we support communities.

Empowered women are a core component of empowered communities. Over the decades we have had the privileged to work alongside so many incredibly strong women leaders of claim groups on their native title journeys.

There is still ample work to do in order to achieve an equal future for Indigenous women, and YMAC is proud to support Traditional Owners in strengthening this reality for women today, tomorrow and far into the future.

Country is our mother, the provider and keeper of cultural belongings. Country and Culture go together. You can’t have one without the other.

Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners and custodians throughout Western Australia, and on whose Country we work. We acknowledge and respect their deep connection to their lands and waterways.

We honour and pay respect to Elders, and to their ancestors who survived and cared for Country.

Our offices are located on Whadjuk Country, Southern Yamatji Country, Yinggarda Country, Kariyarra Country, and Yawuru Country. We recognise the continuing culture, traditions, stories and living cultures on these lands and commit to building a brighter future together.

Disclaimer: Caution: Please be advised that this website may contain images, voices and names of deceased people.

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