Simon Hawkins
Posted: August 8th, 2017
Simon is responsible for the overall management of the organisation on behalf of YMAC’s Board of Directors and also acts as the Company Secretary. This position ensures that policies and decisions of YMAC’s Board of Directors, and respective Regional Committees, are implemented. The Company Secretary is also responsible for making sure the organisation observes its governance responsibilities and that it meets its obligations under agreements entered into with other parties.
As well as promoting the interests of YMAC, its clients and members, the CEO negotiates funding for new and existing projects, and advocates for policy change in critical areas affecting the rights and interests of Traditional Owners.
Since commencing as CEO of YMAC in 2003 Simon has overseen many significant native title, and other negotiations during this time. In the 2019 / 2020 financial year, significant native title outcomes included: the Budina 2 Native Title Claim, Nanda People Part B, Malgana 2 and Malgana 3 consent determinations; Gnulli Native Title Claim Consent Determination (Yinggarda People and Baiyungu and Thalanyji People); Yamatji Nation on-Country Conditional Consent Determination; and the Yamatji Nation IILUA which was lodged with the NNTT in March 2020.
Simon is an inaugural Board member of the National Native Title Council (NNTC), an alliance of Native Title Representative Bodies and Native Title Service Providers from around Australia. He also serves as Secretary to Pilbara Solar, and is a Justice of the Peace.
Simon holds a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science and a Bachelor of Arts (Urban and Regional Studies) and is a current member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.