June 2024

Review YMAC’s Renewable Energy Guide

Posted: June 21st, 2024

Filed under: renewable energy, Renewable Energy Guide, YMAC

With Western Australia’s renewable energy industry growing at a rapid pace, the YMAC Renewable Energy Guide aims to promote the highest engagement standards and provide a practical tool to guide renewable energy project negotiations between developers and First Nations peoples. 

The guide draws on the expertise of YMAC’s experienced lawyers who have been supporting renewable energy project negotiations across our representative areas, other team members from a range of disciplines, as well as external experts. 

YMAC has long been an advocate for economic participation models such as equity ownership. It is our goal to ensure First Nations peoples’ involvement in this Greenfields industry can result in long-term generation of capital – a key to self-determination – as well as close involvement in decision-making about activity impacting their unique cultural heritage and Country. 

Consisting of a set of eight ‘standards’ to guide renewable energy developers in how best to engage with Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs) and Aboriginal Corporations and achieve free, prior and informed consent, as well as a project timeline that discusses key requirements for each stage of a project’s development. 

View the guide here. 

Return of Native Title Materials Best Practice Guide available online

Posted: June 7th, 2024

While this year’s AIATSIS Summit is well-underway in Naarm (Melbourne), YMAC is excited and proud to be able to promote the availability of the Return of native title material from Native Title Representative Bodies or Service Providers to Prescribed Bodies Corporate: A Best Practice Guide – a publication created in partnership by AIATSIS [the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies] and YMAC.

Returning cultural information to the appropriate party/ies is a critical yet complex part of the native title process. The Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) outlines how representative bodies, like YMAC, are required to deal with these materials under section 203FCA. To effectively perform this function, YMAC developed options for returning materials, including a best practice model. This approach is used as a basis for engagement (or re-engagement) with Traditional Owners and Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs) in a culturally appropriate way, and helped to inform much of the new guide.

YMAC looks forward to continue working with PBCs from within its representative areas to deliver tailored, co-designed returns.

We encourage you to please review the guide, as well as explore our website further to learn more about YMAC’s sector-leading Return of Materials processes.

Our digital YMAC Renewable Energy Guide is now live!

Posted: June 4th, 2024

Filed under: renewable energy, Renewable Energy Guide

Our digital YMAC Renewable Energy Guide is now live!

With Western Australia’s renewable energy industry growing at a rapid pace, the YMAC Renewable Energy Guide aims to promote the highest engagement standards and provide a practical tool to guide renewable energy project negotiations between developers and First Nations peoples.

“Renewable Energy presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to establish, from a project’s onset, the highest standards for First Nations peoples’ engagement, alongside sharing in the economic rewards that may arise from projects on Country.  We want to get this right from the start,” said YMAC CEO Simon Hawkins.

The guide draws on the expertise of YMAC’s experienced lawyers who have been supporting renewable energy project negotiations across our representative areas, other team members from a range of disciplines, as well as external experts.

YMAC has long been an advocate for economic participation models such as equity ownership. It is our goal to ensure First Nations peoples’ involvement in this Greenfields industry can result in long-term generation of capital – a key to self-determination – as well as close involvement in decision-making about activity impacting their unique cultural heritage and Country.

The Guide consists of a set of eight ‘standards’ to guide renewable energy developers in how best to engage with Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs) and Aboriginal Corporations and achieve free, prior and informed consent, as well as a project timeline that discusses key requirements for each stage of a project’s development.