Posts By: Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation

2026 On-Country Bush Meeting at the Yule River Meeting Place

Posted: May 22nd, 2026

This year’s On-Country Bush Meeting at Yule River is back again for its 11^th year, to be held on Wednesday, 29 and Thursday, 30 July on Kariyarra Country at the Yule River Meeting Place.

Join us to participate in important discussions on progressing the Yule River Call to Action and Solutions Roadmap (CTA) and the 2025 Community Priorities document. These documents outline the community’s calls to action in response to previous discussions held at the event, and are aligned with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

Day One is for First Nations people living in the Pilbara only, with government representatives invited to join the conversation on Day Two.

Invitations for this year’s event have now been sent to Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs), government, and stakeholders, along with the coordination of workshops for government agencies to meet with ACCOs and community members ahead of the July meeting to discuss specific areas of the Call to Action needing more focus, attention and consultation.

PBCs and ACCOs are also invited to get involved in this year’s event by promoting the event through their networks, hosting a stall or activity, assisting your members to attend, and/or providing financial or in-kind support to the event.

Following last year’s government commitment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Hon Don Punch MLA met with the Yule River Working Group in March this year alongside other senior government officials from the Department of Premier and Cabinet to discuss issues facing the region as well as progress in the key priority areas outlined in the CTA.

As part of his commitment, the Minister provided a detailed report against the CTA. This report will inform the work of the Yule River

Working Group as preparations continue for this year’s meeting, and will be shared with community members and ACCOs ahead of the event.

For more information and updates, keep an eye on the On-Country Bush Meeting at Yule River events page.

ABS Census Field Jobs now hiring

Posted: May 8th, 2026

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is currently hiring over 30,000 people for the next Census, which will be held on Tuesday, 11 August 2026.

Census Field Officers collect data which helps inform local services for the community. The ABS conducts a Census every five years, with the collected information helping government, businesses, and community groups plan for schools, health care, transport, and infrastructure.

Field Officers are needed all over Australia to ensure everyone is supported to participate and be reflected in the data, especially from regional and First Nations communities.

For the upcoming Census, ABS has a variety of temporary jobs available across YMAC’s representative areas. Field Officers can earn extra money while working flexibly across weekdays, weekends and evenings in roles including delivering Census letters and forms, answering questions from the public, and assisting households that haven’t yet responded. Some jobs can also involve managing a team of people on the ground.

Applications for Field Officer jobs are now open. The ABS is looking for a broad range of people to apply to reflect the diversity of Australian communities. No experience is required for these jobs.

Submit your application by Monday, 18 May 2026 . To apply and see all opportunities visit census.abs.gov.au/jobs.

Free three-day celebration of culture in Carnarvon this May

Posted: May 1st, 2026

Celebrate First Nations culture, community, and Country at the Gnulli Festival!

This three-day festival will be held on Yinggarda Country in Carnarvon from Friday, 22 – Sunday, 24 May, and has been developed through a partnership between Baiyungu Aboriginal Corporation, Yinggarda Aboriginal Corporation, and the Shire of Carnarvon.

The weekend welcomes local community members and visitors alike to a full program of theatre with Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company, a community street festival with markets, cultural experiences, storytelling and live music, and an evening  celebration blending local and state music with art and food.

The lineups include Shane Howard and the Great Western Band, Caravana Sun, Kankawa Nagarra (Oliver Knight), and local acts Proud Mary and Raymond Edney. Special appearances will also be made by Brooke Blurton and Matt Moncrieff, with more to be announced.

Find out more on the Gnulli Festival website.

Aboriginal Lands Trust divestment update

Posted: April 30th, 2026

The State Government has commenced drafting the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Bill 2026 (WA) (the Bill), which will update the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Act 1972 (WA) (the Act).

The Bill has been informed by public consultations with stakeholders from across the state (held in 2022) and will only impact land within the Aboriginal Lands Trust (ALT) estate which is reserved for the benefit of First Nations people, or held on behalf of First Nations people.

The WA Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) will be undertaking further targeted stakeholder engagement from April 2026 to provide an update on the proposal.

The proposed amendments to the Act aim to better reflect modern day objectives of the State Government and First Nations people, express that the Act is aware of the requirements of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) and the rights of Native Title Holders and Claimants, and create more streamlined processes. Find out more and read a summary of the proposed amendments on the DPLH website.

WA Housing Class Action update

Posted: April 29th, 2026

Slater and Gordon Lawyers filed a class action on behalf of First Nations tenants living in substandard public housing in remote regions of Western Australia in August 2024. It includes First Nations people who held a tenancy agreement with the WA Housing Authority or the State of Western Australia between 1 July 2010 and 1 December 2025 across WA, including in the Pilbara, Mid West, and Gascoyne regions.

The case argues the public housing landlord has breached contract and consumer laws, as well as having engaged in unconscionable conduct.

Since the case was launched, it has been expanded to bring claims under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), arguing that housing was provided to First Nations people on different and less-favourable terms than non-First Nations people.

The case has also had two ‘case management hearings’ before a judge, however a trial is not likely to happen until 2027.

Affected tenants are invited to sign up to receive updates on the case on the Slater and Gordon Lawyers website. For enquiries, email wahousingcorps@slatergordon.com.au.

National Indigenous Languages Survey – Participation Invited

Posted: March 12th, 2026

Led by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), the National Indigenous Languages Survey (NILS) is an important national study that supports language planning, funding applications, and advocacy. Strong participation ensures languages are well represented in the 2026 results.

Key details:

• Up to four people per language group can complete the survey together
• The survey takes approximately one hour to complete (online or hard copy)
• Each participant will be paid $164
• Travel support is available, if required
• There is no need to be a fluent speaker — the survey focuses on all levels of language use

Deadline: Tuesday, 14 April 2026

Complete the survey online here: https://qualtricsxm3y3g3s2v6.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3vE6j0eVpa3ATpc

For interested Pilbara region participants, please contact Wangka Maya directly: travers.eira@wangkamaya.org.au

For interested Yamatji region participants, please contact Bundiyarra directly: reception@bundiyarra.org.au

ASWA presentation: Power in the Process

Posted: February 13th, 2026

The Anthropological Society of Western Australia (ASWA) is holding a presentation on ‘Power in the Process: Leveraging environmental legislation and relationships to protect people and Country’, on Wednesday, 18 February, 10.00am – 12.30pm, at the State Library of Western Australia.

This presentation will be facilitated by Dr Anna Fagan and Kado Muir, focussing on how Traditional Owners can strategically use environmental legislation to strengthen agreement-making and heritage protection.

Cost is $30 to attend in-person, and $10 to attend online. Find out more and register on the ASWA website.

Free carbon farming workshops and webinars

Posted: February 5th, 2026

The ABC Foundation (Aboriginal Biodiversity Conservation Foundation) aims to support First Nations people, communities, and organisations in WA to engage in carbon farming, land restoration, and related initiatives, while also preserving cultural heritage.

They are currently offering a range of free online live workshops and pre-recorded webinars for people interested in learning more about carbon farming. The workshops will run from 11.am-1.30pm, with the webinars starting at 11am running for either 30-60 minutes.

You can also watch this informative video on Carbon Farming for First Nations land owners on YouTube.

The current schedule and topics include:

• Wednesday, 11 February: Carbon Farming Workshop
• Tuesday, 17 February: An Introduction to Nature Repair Webinar
• Wednesday, 4 March: Climate Change and its Impacts on Country Webinar
• Wednesday, 11 March: Carbon Farming Workshop
• Tuesday, 17 March: Blue Carbon – What is it? Webinar
• Wednesday, 8 April: Carbon Farming Workshop
• Tuesday, 14 April: Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), Fire Management and Cultural Burning Webinar
• Tuesday, 21 April: Soil Carbon – The Science Behind it Webinar
• Tuesday, 5 May: Natural Capital and Accounting Webinar
• Wednesday, 13 May: Carbon Farming Workshop
• Tuesday, 19 May: Indigenous Rights and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent Webinar
• Wednesday, 3 June: Carbon Project Setup and Operations Webinar
• Wednesday, 10 June: Carbon Farming Workshop.

Everyone is welcome to attend these free sessions to explore what carbon farming can mean for land and community. Find out more and register on the ABC Foundation website.

Help shape DMPE’s Aboriginal Cultural Capability Strategy

Posted: February 4th, 2026

The WA Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE) is developing an Aboriginal Cultural Capability Strategy and is seeking insight to help shape its direction.

DMPE is hosting meetings, facilitated by Garlett Group, aiming to provide an opportunity for you to have a say and contribute directly to the strategy. Meetings will be held in:

• Perth: Thursday, 12 February 2026
• Kalgoorlie: Thursday, 19 and Friday, 20 February 2026
• Karratha: Thursday, 26 February 2026
• Port Hedland: Friday, 27 February 2026.

If you are unable to meet on these dates, you are also invited to complete the registration form outlining that you would like to meet during the consultation period.

Register online now.