Pilbara Region News

The Beauty of the Pilbara on Show in Port Hedland and Perth

Posted: February 8th, 2011

Filed under: Pilbara Project, Spinifex Hill

A group of five artists spent a year touring the Pilbara with their cameras and the result is 52 Weeks On: A Pilbara Project Exhibition. The show features stunning images of how the people, mining industry and ancient country interact.

Their photographs and videos will be on show at the Courthouse Gallery in Port Hedland and FORM Gallery in Perth, with opening events in Perth on 10 February and in Port Hedland on 11 February.

The Pilbara Project is a long-term project which documents, maps, illustrates and celebrates the diverse characteristics of the Pilbara.

The exhibition seeks to engage people to think differently about the Pilbara. While the region has already given the Australian economy so much, it has even more to offer, to multiple people and on multiple fronts.

Pilbara Indigenous Health Services Win Commonwealth Support

Posted: February 1st, 2011

Filed under: Aboriginal health organisations, Jigalong, South Hedland

Three Aboriginal Health Centres in the Pilbara have been successful in securing grants from the federal government, the Minister for Indigenous Health announced yesterday.

The goal of the funding is to help Aboriginal Health Organisations achieve accreditation under Australian quality standards.

For the Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service Aboriginal Corporation in Jigalong and the Pilbara Indigenous Women’s Aboriginal Corporation and Bloodwood Tree, both located in South Hedland, this means funding for things like training, office equipment, medical equipment and the accreditation fees.

YMAC congratulates these three Pilbara Aboriginal health organisations on their successful grant applications and on their ongoing work to improve the health and quality of life for the Pilbara Aboriginal community.

ACCO wins Premier’s Active Citizenship Community Group Award

Posted: January 28th, 2011

Filed under: Aboriginal Communities Charitable Organisation, ACCO, Pilbara

                                                                            


YMAC’s Business Development Coordinator, Cris Olegario & YMAC’s Pilbara Regional Manager, Peter Jeffries.

On Australia Day the ‘Aboriginal Communities Charitable Organisation’ (ACCO) was presented with the Premier’s Active Citizenship Community Group Award for their contribution to the Pilbara community.

The ACCO is an excellent example of a regional organisation making a difference to the lives of Aboriginal people and is run by a volunteer staff base, most of whom are Indigenous.

As well as receiving public recognition from the Premier, the ACCO have also been approved for a Lotterywest grant for large commercial refrigerators for their food distribution outlet at TAFE’s Pundulmurra campus in South Hedland. The grant also includes a custom fitted ‘Commercial Kitchen Caravan’ to fully equip ACCO in their pursuit to deliver services to regional and remote communities in the Pilbara.

The Aboriginal Communities Charitable Organisation (ACCO) was formed in late 2008 as a non-profit charitable organisation to help ‘close the gap’ in local Indigenous communities. The idea came about from a common desire to make a difference to the lives of Aboriginal families living in Pilbara’s mining economy, where food and housing prices can be artificially high.

With the support and partnership of Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, Newcrest Mining and Foodbank the ACCO’s first primary project was the South Hedland Food Distribution Centre. The ACCO’s work aims to: 

• Create a sustainable food supply for families;
• Teach the community to grow food;
• Provide nutrition education; and
• Facilitate training and job placement.

To learn more about the ACCO and their work please contact, Cris Olegario, YMAC’s Community and Business Development Coordinator on (08) 9172 5433.

Apply Now For Pilbara Development Commission Grant

Posted: January 24th, 2011

Filed under: Pilbara Development Commission, Royalties for Regions

Does your community group have a project in mind that requires funding assistance? The final round of the Pilbara Development Commission’s Small Grants Scheme is now open for applications up to $10,000.

As part of Royalties For Regions, the scheme is designed to assist small community groups in the Pilbara with funding for projects up to $10,000.

Applications must be submitted by 4:30 pm, 28 February 2011. For more information, visit www.pdc.wa.gov.au/royalties-for-regions.aspx

If your community group is successful in securing a grant, tell us about it! YMAC loves to hear about our members doing great things for their communities. Email srosenfeld@ymac.org.au to let us know how your community organisation is creating positive change for the Traditional Owners of the Pilbara and Midwest.

Meet a YMAC Director

Posted: January 10th, 2011

Filed under: Board, Darren Injie, Innawonga

Director, Darren Injie

Darren is a Innawonga man from the central Pilbara and Hamersley Ranges region.

Darren has been involved in Aboriginal advocacy since childhood, attending his first land rights protests while in highschool. In addition to his work for YMAC and the Innawonga native title group, Darren is involved in the Gumula Corporation and is a Director of Ngarda Foundation.

Darren works to ensure Traditional Owners benefit from wealth generated through mining on traditional country in the Pilbara. His vision is to see his people gain economic prosperity through participation in the mainstream economy.

Nyiyaparli Sign Agreement for Iron Valley Project

Posted: December 1st, 2010

Filed under: agreement, Iron Ore Holdings, Nyiyaparli

In Tom Price this week, the Nyiyaparli people signed a Land Access Deed with Iron Ore Holdings Ltd (IOH) that delivers important protection for country and support to the Iron Valley project.

Nyiyaparli country is situated in the central Pilbara region of Western Australia and covers approximately 36,684 square kilometres of land, including the mining town of Newman.


The agreement, which covers the Iron Valley project, provides a range of benefits to the Nyiyaparli people including contracting opportunities, cross cultural awareness training for IOH employees and a rigorous framework for agreement implementation. More importantly the agreement provides for consultation on environmental and heritage matters, which allows the Nyiyaparli people to retain their rights under Aboriginal heritage and environment legislation in order to protect areas of cultural and environmental significance.


The Nyiyaparli people, represented by Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC), are now looking to build upon the spirit of cooperation and good faith they developed with IOH during the agreement negotiation process.


Simon Hawkins, CEO, Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, said the agreement was an example of a mining company working cooperatively and negotiating in good faith with Traditional Owners. “The Nyiyaparli people appreciated the company’s willingness to sit down and negotiate with the group. The next step is to build on this relationship and see the agreement successfully implemented.”

Meet a YMAC Director

Posted: November 10th, 2010

Filed under: Board, Ngarla, Nora Cooke

Native Title Railway Agreement to Protect Rock Art

Posted: October 2nd, 2010

Filed under: Hancock Prospecting, Palyku, Rock Art

This week Palyku native title claimants and Hancock Prospecting announced an agreement over the company’s proposed heavy haulage rail line to connect their Roy Hill project with Port Hedland.

The agreement provides financial and non-financial benefits, including payments to be used for protecting and managing the cultural heritage values relating to the Woodstock Abydos Reserve, one of the richest rock art centres in the world.

“In the negotiations, we made it clear that we don’t want any of our special places to be disturbed,” said Terry Jaffrey, a Palyku elder. “Hancock has agreed to avoid all sacred sites, and to provide funds to protect the Woodstock Abydos heritage listed area.”
The agreement also specifies a portion of the financial benefits to be used for an employment, training and education program and a Health and Elderly Support Fund. These programs are in addition to Hancock’s commitment to implement a Pilbara Indigenous Employment policy, and provide contracting preferences for Pilbara Indigenous companies.

“To us it’s a very important place,” said Jaffrey. “I spent most of my time over the last decade dealing with mining companies, looking after it, and I’ll keep on looking after it. That’s why we have to work with Hancock to make sure they don’t disturb anything. It’s very important to me and to our children’s children.”

This agreement with the Palyku people is the latest to be signed by Hancock over its rail corridor, which will affect several native title claims.

Traditional Owners sign Rail Agreement with Hancock Prospecting

Posted: August 27th, 2010

Filed under: Hancock Prospecting, Kariyarra, Rail

Hancock Prospecting’s Tad Watroba with Kariyarra elders Lena Alone and Elsie Williams.

The Kariyarra native title group today announced a native title agreement with Hancock Prospecting. The agreement covers the company’s proposed heavy haulage railway corridor to carry iron ore from its Roy Hill Project to Port Hedland.