Gumala News - April 2012 - Community Edition

GUMALA NEWS COMMUNITY EDITION, APRIL 2012
GUMALA NEWS COMMUNITY EDITION, APRIL 2012
Gumala holds successful AGM in
truly unique setting: ‘on country’
Karijini
National
Park
GAC Chairman Keith Hall pictured
at the AGM beside fellow Gumala
Member Linda Parker
Newly elected Director Nicholas Cook
Gumala Elders (left to right) Margaret Parker (Banyjima), Ken
Ingie Senior (Innawonga), Brian Tucker (Nyiyaparli) & Elizabeth
Dowton (Banyjima)
Gumala Elder Slim Parker,
who Chaired the AGM,
was also elected onto the
Board of Directors during
the AGM
Approximately 150 Gumala Members (Traditional
Owners) plus their families attended the event
Gumala Aboriginal Corporation
(GAC) has held a highly successful
Annual General Meeting (AGM),
Special General Meeting (SGM)
and Elders Meeting at a truly unique
venue. The official meetings took
place in late March (March 30 &
31) ‘on country’ at the majestic
and iconic Karijini National Park in
the iron-ore rich Pilbara region of
Western Australia.
Approximately 150 GAC Members
(Traditional Owners) and their
families travelled hundreds of
kilometres - and in some cases, over
a thousand kilometres - from all over
the Pilbara, other parts of Western
Australia and Australia to attend the
event on their traditional land.
The organisational aspects and
logistics of holding such an major
event in a remote location were
enormously challenging, including
transportation of supplies (including
food and water), facilities and other
essential items to the event to cater
for approximately 300 people.
One of the highlights of the
meetings was the appointment of
a new Board of Directors, who
were voted in by the Members.
The new Board of 12, consisting
of 4 Directors from each of the 3
language groups are as follows:
Nyiyaparli Directors:
Keith Hall, Stephen Peterson &
Natalie Parker
Banyjima Directors:
Slim Parker, David MacLean, Shane
Derschow
Innawonga Directors:
Stuart Ingie Snr, Nicholas Cook &
Cecil Parker
Chairman, Deputy Chairman,
Secretary:
The Chairman remains Keith Hall;
The Deputy remains Stuart Ingie
Snr; The Secretary remains Stephen
Peterson
The Elders were not standing for reelection,
and therefore remain:
David Stock (Nyiyaparli); Doreen
James (Innawonga); Archie Tucker
(Banyjima)
GAC Chairman Keith Hall said
the fact that GAC was able to
successfully stage an Elders Meeting,
SGM and AGM at Karijini National
Park, with no existing infrastructure,
represented a major triumph.
“It was very important for our
Elders that these meetings be
held ‘on country’. Our spiritual
beliefs, traditions and culture are
closely related to the land and
sky. Karijini National Park is part
of our traditional lands, so holding
these meetings ‘on country’, and
respecting our cultural obligations
as Traditional Owners, is very
important to us.”
The Chairman added that GAC’s
Members should be applauded for
their participation and for the robust
debate that took place during the
event.
Additional highlights of the AGM:
• Recognition of GAC’s financial
management performance. GAC
received an unqualified audit report
(from an independent audit firm) in
all respects of its financial operations
for the 2011 financial year.
• Significant year-on-year funding
boosts (via Member programs) as
detailed in GAC’s latest Annual
Report:
- GAC distributed over $1.5 million
in direct funding on its Members
and their children on Development
Programs during the 2011 financial
year. This figure was more than
double the previous financial year,
and is expected to at least double
again during the current financial
year.
- GAC’s distribution of funds to
Members on Health Programs during
the 2011 financial year was $5.6
million (compared to $2.6 million
for the prior financial year).
- Direct funding to GAC Members
on Lore & Culture Programs totalled
just over $1 million during the
2011 financial year, compared to
about $577,000 during the 2010
financial year.
- Total spending by GAC on
Projects (Community Development,
Education and Lore & Culture)
reached $2.5 million in the 2011
Financial Year, compared to
$952,000 the previous financial
year. This will increase substantially
in the 2012 financial year as Gumala
progresses its housing project, elderly
complex project, early childhood
Karijini National Park is located just
north of the Tropic of Capricorn,
approximately 1400 km north
of Perth and approximately 80
km from Gumala Aboriginal
Corporation’s head office in Tom
Price.
centre project, health needs &
analysis project, and community
upgrades projects.
- Overall, GAC is expected to
distribute just under $20 million in
grants to members in the current
(2012) financial year. That
compares to about $1 million just
four years ago. This is a remarkable
achievement.
GAC Chairman Keith Hall:
“Moving into 2012 and beyond,
GAC will keep its eye firmly
on the ball. Our key objectives
Karijini National Park is located
within the traditional heartland of
Banyjima country (Banyjima is one
of the three language groups that
GAC represents). The national
park is ranked in the top five visitor
experiences for the State. The
Gumala Group owns the multi-award
include: continuing to strengthen
our already strong levels of Best
Practice and Corporate Governance;
continuing to support our Members/
Beneficiaries through the various
programs and projects we fund
(including the core areas of
education, health & well-being
and lore & culture); training and
employment initiatives; economic,
community and social development;
and the preservation and protection
of our heritage, culture and
languages.”
winning tourism asset Karijini Eco
Retreat, which is located within
Karijini National Park. Since its
grand opening in 2007, Karijini
Eco Retreat has grown in sales and
prominence to become one of the
most outstanding tourism brands in
WA.
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