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YMAC best practice Standards

Standard-1

Engage respectfully with First Nations communities

How to implement this Standard

Key elements

  • Consultation should always underpin the negotiation process because consent is ongoing. Consultation must commence as soon as possible and be continuous throughout the life of a project. Consent must be achieved prior to a project start and continue to be sought over the lifecycle of a project, particularly when new information comes to light as the project progresses. The processes followed and outcomes achieved should be documented at every stage in accordance with commercial best practice.
  • A social licence to operate must be valued and respected and needs to be carefully maintained throughout the project because, once lost, the good faith on which it is based may be impossible to restore.
  • Negotiations must be conducted fairly and in good faith with a whole-of-company (particularly leadership) commitment throughout the project lifecycle that endures if company ownership changes.
  • Proponents should use information gathered during the consultation process to address impacts, tailor implementation and identify appropriate mechanisms for sharing project benefits with Traditional Owners.
  • External experts should be engaged to assist in the identification of the project’s risks and impacts, and Traditional Owners’ concerns should be included in baseline and ongoing feasibility surveys.
  • Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs) and Aboriginal corporations must be properly resourced to engage with the Proponent and to obtain independent expert legal, scientific, business, commercial and other advice.
  • Regular and ongoing cultural competency training for a Proponent’s employees supports respectful engagement.
YMAC

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Country is our mother, the provider and keeper of cultural belongings. Country and Culture go together. You can’t have one without the other.

Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners and custodians throughout Western Australia, and on whose Country we work. We acknowledge and respect their deep connection to their lands and waterways.

We honour and pay respect to Elders, and to their ancestors who survived and cared for Country.

Our offices are located on Whadjuk Country, Southern Yamatji Country, Yinggarda Country, Kariyarra Country, and Yawuru Country. We recognise the continuing culture, traditions, stories and living cultures on these lands and commit to building a brighter future together.

Disclaimer: Caution: Please be advised that this website may contain images, voices and names of deceased people.

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