Country, Culture, People, Future

December 2010

YMAC Christmas Office Hours

Posted: December 20th, 2010

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Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation offices in Perth, Geraldton, Karratha, South Hedland and Tom Price will be closed during the festive season from Friday, 24 December 2010, re-opening on Tuesday, 4 January 2011.


YMAC’s Board of Directors, Pilbara and Yamatji Regional Committees, management and staff would like to wish all members a happy and safe festive season.

Meet a YMAC Director

Posted: December 13th, 2010

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Roy Bellotti – YMAC Director

Roy is a Malgana man who has lived and worked in the Gascoyne region all his life.

Roy has deep connections to the world heritage listed Shark Bay area, where his grandmother and father were both born.

He enjoys the outdoors and regularly camps, hunts and fishes on his country.

He has been a member of the Yamatji Region Executive Committee since November 2004 and YMAC’s Chairperson since February 2008. Roy is well known in the community for his leadership capacity and ability to unite people.

Nyiyaparli Sign Agreement for Iron Valley Project

Posted: December 1st, 2010

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In Tom Price this week, the Nyiyaparli people signed a Land Access Deed with Iron Ore Holdings Ltd (IOH) that delivers important protection for country and support to the Iron Valley project.


Nyiyaparli country is situated in the central Pilbara region of Western Australia and covers approximately 36,684 square kilometres of land, including the mining town of Newman.


The agreement, which covers the Iron Valley project, provides a range of benefits to the Nyiyaparli people including contracting opportunities, cross cultural awareness training for IOH employees and a rigorous framework for agreement implementation. More importantly the agreement provides for consultation on environmental and heritage matters, which allows the Nyiyaparli people to retain their rights under Aboriginal heritage and environment legislation in order to protect areas of cultural and environmental significance.


The Nyiyaparli people, represented by Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC), are now looking to build upon the spirit of cooperation and good faith they developed with IOH during the agreement negotiation process.


Simon Hawkins, CEO, Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, said the agreement was an example of a mining company working cooperatively and negotiating in good faith with Traditional Owners. “The Nyiyaparli people appreciated the company’s willingness to sit down and negotiate with the group. The next step is to build on this relationship and see the agreement successfully implemented.”

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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