Yamatji On-Country

The Yamatji On-Country meeting is an annual forum created by and for First Nations people from across the Mid West, Murchison and Gascoyne regions. Coordinated by YMAC, it responds to the Yamatji Regional Committee’s vision of a platform where community can come together to voice concerns, identify common goals, and propose solutions that are rooted in Country, culture, and community.

This year’s Yamatji On-Country was held on Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 September 2025 on Southern Yamatji Country at the Bundiyarra Aboriginal Community Aboriginal Corporation. Day One was for First Nations people and organisations only, while Day Two welcomed invited guests, including Hon Don Punch, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and other senior government representatives.

A highlight this year was the announcement from Hon Don Punch of $300,000 in funding towards the Mid West Aboriginal Organisations Alliance (MAOA). This funding will enable MAOA to strengthen their position as the peak body for the Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) sector in the region, and provide leadership on behalf of grassroots community members to deliver much-needed outcomes identified in the Yamatji On-Country Call to Action Statement (Statement). Hon Punch also committed to returning to the region in six months’ time to meet with MAOA to provide an update on what the State Government is doing to deliver on the Statement.

Over 500 people attended across the two days of this year’s meeting, including First Nations peoples and corporations, primary and high school students, parliamentarians from state and federal government, representatives from government agencies and local government, and independent commissioners.

The meeting saw continued progression on First Nations leadership and increased action from government to address inequity and disadvantage to ‘close the gap’ for the region’s First Nations community, through the Statement. Informed by community and young people participating in the annual meeting, the Statement is an open invitation to local, State and Federal government to work with First Nations people and organisations in the region to achieve place-based change in several key priority areas. It contains links to the Outcomes identified in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap for these priority areas identified by the community:

• Systemic Change (changing the way government works with First Nations people)
• Housing and Accommodation
• Police and Justice
• Employment, Training and Economic Development
• Racism
• Education
• Health and Wellbeing.

This year’s event also included a community breakfast, and an evening Celebration of Culture event. The celebration showcased local First Nations talent and brought community together for dinner and a yarn around the fire.  

Community consultations

Day One discussions were strengthened through the sharing of information gained from a series of pre-event workshops YMAC held throughout the region, to ensure that attendees at Yamatji on Country heard from First Nations people in Carnarvon, Meekatharra, Mt Magnet and Mullewa on the issues they are facing.

This information further informed urgent actions needing attention in the seven priority areas that were presented to invited guests as part of the Day Two program.

Youth program

The Yamatji On-Country Youth Program, now in its fourth year, has become a highlight of the event. 

As a native title representative body, YMAC was excited to deliver a pre-event workshop in 2025 with students from several high schools across the region to delve into native title and how it connects to culture and Country. The workshop included identifying what they want to see in schools to create more opportunities to learn and connect on this topic, and developing a project concept – the Elders Film Project – for future delivery, that was shared at the meeting through an inspiring presentation by participants of the Youth Program.  

View more images from this year’s event in our website gallery.