Yanunijarra AGM wrap!

The Yanunijarra AGM meeting was held on the 18th-20th August 2015 at Yakanarra Community, 120km south of Fitzroy Crossing. There were about 60 attendees at the meeting, who came to help shape the future for Ngurrara country, communities and people.

During the meeting, 4 new directors and a new chairman were elected. The new directors are Beryl Dickens, Irene Jimbidie, Jennifer Thomas and George Jubadah, and the new chairman is Terrance Jack. May we thank and farewell the former chairman, Ronnie Jimbidee, and the outgoing directors, for all their hard work, effort and contributions.

Chief Operations Officer, Peter Murray, says that Yanunijarra is committed to good governance, and to following both cultural and mainstream protocols. 

“Everyone was comfortable that we followed the correct process and were happy with the decision about the new directors. On the board, I think we have a good balance of directors with a range of skills and expertise,” Mr Murray says.

During the AGM, there were talks and discussions about business, employment, development, ranger establishment and ways to look after country. There was also a presentation, organised by KRED Enterprises, from an independent expert panel on fracking. The panel of scientists gave Traditional Owners information about the potential impacts of fracking in the Canning Superbasin. Mr Murray said overall, the meeting was informative and engaging with a good mixture of presentations from all parts of the Ngurrara community. 

“The main highlight was getting everything done in regards to reports from rangers and community members. We have many strong programs happening on Ngurrara country and the PBC wants to be a part of supporting those programs that are creating positive social and economic change. I think everyone was happy with the presentation of the AGM and satisfied with the results,” My Murray says. 

The Ngurrara rangers were a great help, collecting firewood, setting up the camping area, and helping to serve food. Traditional dancing was held on the last night, which brought our community together, and had many participants. 

Our AGM has been at Yakanarra for the last two years and we’d like to thank the community for hosting us. Next year, we might try a different venue, maybe closer to town so that we’re between the river and desert. By doing this, hopefully all of our PBC members will participate, get more involved and learn about what projects are happening on country with Ngurrara people. We believe it’s important that young people and old people are all part of the process of working toward our vision for Ngurrara. By building ourselves up and standing together we are strong.