Protection of Aboriginal Culture through Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park

A new marine park created to protect the natural and cultural values of the Pilbara's Eighty Mile Beach will for the first time in Western Australia include special recognition for sites of high Aboriginal cultural significance.

The Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park is the result of collaborative efforts between the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) and Indigenous Traditional Owners who have worked together to ensure the protection of Aboriginal heritage in Western Australia.

The marine park will be jointly managed between DEC and Karajarri, Nyangumarta and Ngarla Traditional Owners, and will include special 'cultural heritage' zones acknowledging the existence of cultural values in the area.

Click here to read the full Ministerial media statement.

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Legal win for the Ngarla people

YMAC is very pleased by a Federal Court decision earlier this week stating that the BHP Mt. Goldsworthy mining leases do not permanently extinguish the Ngarla people's native title.

Click here to listen to an interview with YMAC CEO Simon Hawkins about the decision on ABC Radio Australia.

Click to read more about the decision on ABC News.

Download YMAC News issue 17

The latest issue of YMAC News is now available from our website.

It features a ceremony marking a milestone on Badimia country, a unique agreement for the future of the Njamal people, an important legal win for the Kurama and Marthudunera people, and a valuable course attended by YMAC's co-Chairs.

There are also several new features, including "Respect for elders", a section profiling respected elders of the Midwest and Pilbara. This issue looks at Ngarla men Charlie Coppin and Stephen Stewart. There is also a new "Frequently asked questions" section and a new column from Christina Colegate, YMAC's policy officer.

We have also profiled YMAC Committee member Rodney Ryan, staff member Jerry Maher, and community member Dawn Hamlett.

If you have any stories you'd like to share with us, elders who you think we should profile, questions about native title, or any other letters to the editor, send them to editor@ymac.org.au.

We hope you enjoy this issue of YMAC news.

Click here to download your copy.

Meet a YMAC Director

Nora Cooke

Nora is an Ngarla woman who played an integral role in her people’s native title determination in 2007.

Nora enjoys the bush life in the Pilbara, including fishing, camping, cooking and hunting. Nora has an in-depth understanding of bush medicine and provides advice to people seeking bush medicine treatments. She also practices her culture by teaching several Aboriginal languages and running cultural awareness training at mine sites and the Wangka Maya Language Centre.
To Nora, country means to live freely on the land, gathering food and hunting.

Agreement over Pilbara mythological site

Ngarla people today announced a heritage and mining agreement with the Boral Group of Companies regarding the Tabba Tabba rock quarry, approximately 40kms east of Port Hedland.

The agreement addresses mining practices over the 'Mikurrnya' Aboriginal site, near the quarry, which is of mythological importance to the Ngarla People. In order to preserve and protect the Mikurrnya site to the greatest practical extent, the parties agreed to a final footprint for the mining operations, along with Exclusion Zones to protect the rest of the site.

The agreement also includes compensation to the Ngarla People for impact on their country and formal recognition that past operations had disturbed the Mikurrnya site, causing distress to the Ngarla People.

Ngarla Elder, Charlie Coppin said, “Mikurrnya is one of our most important places. It’s always been there – since the beginning of time. We need to look after it. We were very upset that the quarry was put there. Now we’ve got an agreement to try and protect it.

Simon Hawkins, CEO of Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation said, “We’re pleased Boral Companies acknowledge the Ngarla People’s custodianship and the importance of the Mikurrnya site. These agreements show that despite past actions, working relationships can be resolved and developed between Traditional Owners and industry.”

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About Ngarla Country
Ngarla Country covers approximately 4,655 sq km of land east of Port Hedland. The Ngarla People were recognised as native title holders over the area in 2007 and have now have non-exclusive native title rights including the right to enter and remain on land, camp, hunt, fish, gather and use resources of the land and waters (excluding minerals), engage in rituals and ceremonies and protect areas of cultural significance.

As native title holders, Ngarla people must be consulted about development on their land and have a right to negotiate over mineral exploration and the development of new mines. Ngarla people have a native title claim over the area of Mikurrnya.

Image: Susan Armstrong, Company Secretary, Boral Contracting Pty Ltd and Ngarla Elder, Charlie Coppin