WDLAC and Newcrest Mining met on 22 February this

year to discuss the Indigenous Land Use Agreement

(ILUA), payments to WDLAC and Myer Trust, and future

business development opportunities. The meeting

was held as part of an agreement to form an ILUA

Relationship Committee.

During the meeting, Newcrest said they would provide

more information about how Martu people can get

involved with training programs at Telfer. Newcrest

will be working with WDLAC to distribute information

to Martu about employment, training, and business

opportunities.

The Committee also discussed the successful

Martu Trainee Program. Four Martu people recently

completed the year-long program at Telfer, and have

been offered jobs on the mine site. Newcrest plans to

have eight Martu people receiving instruction this year.

Newcrest also made special mention of the Desert

Sports program. The Western Desert Sports Council,

now named Ngurra Kujungka, is providing more sports

clinics across all sports. This year, it sent two teams to

Perth to play in an exhibition game at the Subiaco Oval

as an AFL curtain-raiser.

WDLAC is looking forward to the next meeting, and

helping the Martu people make use of training and

business opportunities on Martu Country.

NEWCREST & WDLAC MEET

ISSUE 3 | April 2017

News fromWestern Desert Lands

Aboriginal CorporationN E W S

WDLAC is making a list of individuals and businesses which are interested in being the first to know about training or business opportunities with companies working on Martu country. To add your name to our list, please contact WDLAC at cwrona@wdlac.com.au.

Are you interested in training or business opportunities?

ABOVE: Martu people and Newcrest representatives discuss their ongoing projects

BELOW: WDLAC Board member Kennedy Finlay and Executive Officer Martie Oosthuizen meet Newcrest Superintendent of Community Relations (Telfer) Ben Bryant

Acting CEO of WDLAC Simon Hawkins

2 | WDLAC NEWS APRIL 2017

To help Martu people access funds from Myer Trust

for law business, WDLAC’s Board has resolved to

develop a Martu Law Plan.

Every year, this plan will identify law needs for Martu

people, and help Myer Trust organise payments for

law business. The plan will include detail about the

start and finish of law time, fuel and food needs, the

number of Martu people involved, and the location

of the law business.

Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC)

Pilbara Regional Manager Donny Wilson is helping

Martu elders organise the meetings needed to write

the plan. YMAC’s Deputy Co-Chair in the Pilbara

Mrs Doris Eaton will help organise the women’s law

meeting as well.

In 2016, Punmu and Jigalong hosted speech

pathologists and occupational therapists who

came from Curtin University to help local children.

The Curtin students completed three five-week

placements between May and October.

The students built trusting relationships with Martu

children, their families, and the community. Despite

the small amount of time, the community recognised

a big improvement in the children who participated

in the Jiji program.

In total, the Jiji program worked with 41 children

in 2016. The Jiji teams will return to Punmu and

Jigalong in 2017, and the placements will happen on

15 May, 10 July, and 28 August.

Welcome to the third issue of WDLAC News. I would

like to use this opportunity to highlight some of the

work accomplished since the last newsletter, and

and talk about what we’ll work towards this year.

In this newsletter, you’ll find an update on WDLAC’s

improving money story. We also want to share

some updates on agreements for the Martu people,

and talk about some results from the Jiji program.

We also have some updates on Myer Trust and how

it is helping Martu people.

Our search for an office in Newman continues, and

we have seen a few promising locations.

This is also a good opportunity to introduce

Desmond Taylor. Des is a Karlamyingurrara man

who speaks Warnman. He is an important part of

the WDLAC Board of Directors, and is keen to build

a stronger WDLAC.

I hope you enjoy this edition of WDLAC News.

LAW PLANS

WDLAC has met with Myer Trust, who has agreed to improve co-ordination of payments and communication with Martu people.

For all enquiries in relation to funeral assistance, law business and other Martu enquiries related to the Myer Trust, please contact Nicole Hutchinson on (08) 9230 7707.

WELCOME TO WDLAC NEWS

JIJI DELIVERS

WDLAC NEWS APRIL 2017 | 3

UPDATE ON NEGOTIATIONS

MEET A BOARD MEMBERDesmond Taylor is from Karlamyingurrara and speaks Warnman. He

wants to see WDLAC prosper and work for all Martu people.

Desmond is excited to work with partners and organisations who

share his vision for a strong WDLAC working for Martu people.

WDLAC took this application to Inquiry. Many Martu

Traditional Owners gave witness statements to be

submitted to the National Native Title Tribunal, DMP

and those who had applied for the tenement.

WDLAC is not against the tenements being granted.

The objection WDLAC had on behalf of the Martu

people was for the DMP using the expedited procedure

process.

In January of this year, WDLAC was successful with

the inquiry. The NNTT agreed with WDLAC that the

expedited procedure should not apply.

What happens now?

The tenements are now pulled from the expedited

procedure process and re-advertised under the Right to

Negotiate process. This means that those who applied

now have to negotiate with WDLAC and the Martu

people in good faith for a minimum of six months. At

the time of printing this newsletter, no agreement has

been reached. It is hoped that they will negotiate the

LAA. We will keep you updated in the next newsletter.

Antipa Resources

Earlier this year, WDLAC signed a Deed of Variation

with Antipa Resources. This Deed added two new

tenements to the previously executed WDLAC Land

Access Agreement (LAA) with Antipa Resources.

Objections submitted to NNTT

In October 2015, two tenements were advertised by

the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) under

the expedited procedure. This ‘fast track’ process

is not unusual and happens with all Exploration and

Prospecting tenements.

WDLAC objected to the National Native Title Tribunal

(NNTT) to the DMP’s use of the expedited procedure

for both tenements. Rather than use this expedited

procedure, WDLAC sent the Land Access Agreement

(LAA) to those who applied for the exploration license.

They declined to sign this, stating that they had signed

the required Regional Standard Heritage Agreement

(RSHA) through the DMP when they first lodged their

tenement applications.

CURRENT MONEY STORY

N E W S

Assets and liabilities

1 July 2016 to 28 February 2017

(unaudited) Assets Current assets $ 1,583,338.71 Non-current assets $ 288,513.77 Total assets $ 1,871,852.48 Less Liabilities Current liabilities $ 531,955.06 Non-current liabilities $ 10,556.36 Total liabilities $ 542,511.42 Equity $ 1,329,341.07

Income and expenses

1 July 2016 to 28 February 2017

(unaudited) Income Revenue from services $ 1,461,721.75 Other $ 93,668.93 Total Income $ 1,555,390.68 Less Expenses AGM $ 84,290.15 Contractors and consultants $ 442,331.91 Directors fees $ 19,227.96 Motor vehicles $ 9,001.85 Travel and meetings $ 71,489.55 Rent $ 113,886.83 Ancillary costs, fees and provisions $ 93,124.99 Depreciation $ 44,769.36 Employees expenses $ 102,538.74 Heritage attendance payments $ 116,955.14 Finance charges $ 130.00 Other expenses $ 25,248.56 Other (gains)/ losses -$ 12,600.00 Total Expenses $ 1,110,395.04 Surplus/ (Deficit) $ 444,995.64

-$1,500,000.00

-$1,000,000.00

-$500,000.00

$-

$500,000.00

$1,000,000.00

$1,500,000.00

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17

Money made/Money lost

The money story shows that WDLAC’s finances

are continuing to improve.

In this financial year, we have paid $116,955.14

to Martu people for attending heritage surveys.

This means that WDLAC is investing in Martu

people to ensure Martu country is looked after.

With stronger governance and reducing costs,

WDLAC is now making money. WDLAC needs

money to grow and provide more services to

Martu people.

We will continue to bring you updated money

stories throughout the financial year.

This chart shows that since the middle of the 2016-2017 financial year, WDLAC has been making money. You can see the specfics on the right.

WDLAC Contact Coral WronaAddress PO BOX 331 West Perth WA 6005Phone 08 9486 9797Email cwrona@wdlac.com.au

Making money

Losing money