Aboriginal Volunteers Used and Abused then Discarded

Piyarli Yardi Aboriginal Corporation has been involved with the Heritage and Cultural Centre building project for the past 13 years. We are made up of 11 Board Members selected to represent the 5 language groups of the Gascoyne, together with other Indigenous community people. We truly represent all Indigenous people of the Gascoyne.

We are the Committee that has done the hard work:
1. Community Consultation
2. Planning for site development
3. Consultation with architects
4. Business Planning
5. Revised Planning as needed
6. Identified and developed Training Plans

We have ensured that the following has taken place:
 Blessing of the site
 Plaque laid on site in recognition of contribution of Indigenous people in Pastoral Industry
 Developed Site Clearance contracts
 Pre-Works Contracts to include Indigenous workers
 Developed an employment & training policy during major construction

Now we have been BOOTED from the project.

And to save any confusion as where we stand in regard to the project today, the name of the building has been altered. No longer does the Piyarli Yardi Aboriginal Corporation represent the Heritage & Cultural Centre building, which is now known as the Carnarvon Aboriginal Heritage & Cultural Centre. An Interim Management Board, appointed by Minister Ford, comprising more non-Indigenous representatives than Indigenous has been put in place.

How can all the Indigenous people of the Gascoyne be represented in this way?

We wish to draw attention to our need to be re-instated with the project.

The HARD work is done. Indigenous Volunteers have worked too long and hard to be so disgracefully dumped. We have got the building to where it is today………but today our contribution is being overlooked.