YMAC Native Title Forums
Free to attend for Traditional Owners, as well as Prescribed Body Corporate (PBC) staff and directors, from within both of YMAC’s representative regions, our annual ‘Native Title Forums’ provide a great opportunity for attendees to network and learn more about native title, its related processes, the different roles and functions of various stakeholders (like YMAC and PBCs), current reforms and opportunities, sector updates, and much more.
2026 Native Title Forum dates confirmed – Let’s talk about water!
Dates and locations (venues TBC) for our 2026 Native Title Forums have now been confirmed. These forums have been rescheduled from the postponed 2025 dates, with the same theme of water rights, access and allocations – and an added Perth date!
- Thursday, 2 April – Perth
- Tuesday, 21 April – Geraldton
- Thursday, 30 April – Hedland
While the regional events will have a region-specific focus, PBC directors and staff from either of YMAC’s representative regions are welcome to attend any session that is convenient to them.
In Western Australia, the recognition of First Nations peoples’ rights and interests in water is highly complex and challenging. While the State Government acknowledges the importance of a partnership approach with First Nations peoples in managing water resources, the current legal framework does not fully address nor specifically allocate rights to water for Traditional Owners or their representative organisations.
The planned format of these forums will include:
- Presentations from relevant State Government agencies on their roles, responsibilities, how they interact with one another, and current related work
- National Native Title Council (NNTC) sharing information on its current work towards establishing new Inland Water Targets under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap
- Sharing, discussing, and prioritising areas requiring more attention, as well as strategies to achieve better outcomes in this space.
Please continue to check this page for updates, including venue locations, as they are confirmed. Alternatively, contact YMAC Projects Coordinator Teri O’Neill (E: toneill@ymac.org.au; P: 0418 115 908) to be added to the relevant mailing list.
