The Yugunga-Nya People’s Trust
The discretionary Trust was formed in 2004 to hold native title income derived from agreements and determinations on Yugunga-Nya country and to apply them for the benefit of current and future generations of Yugunga-Nya People in furtherance of the Trust’s charitable purposes.
The Trust’s primary object and purpose is:
- relief of aged, poverty, sickness, suffering, distress, misfortune or destitution of the primary beneficiaries, defined as the native title claim group.
The Trust secondary object and purpose is:
- relief of aged, poverty, sickness, suffering, distress, misfortune or destitution of the additional beneficiaries
- advancement of education, culture, and religion
- other purposes beneficial to the community of the beneficiaries.
Yugunga Country
On 2 November 2021 the Federal Court of Australia delivered a Part A determination which recognised the Yugunga-Nya People’s native title rights over approximately 21,305 square kilometres. The determined area includes the towns of Meekatharra and Cue at its western edge, roughly defined by the Great Northern Highway and the Rabbit Proof Fence at its eastern boundary. The southern boundary is a line running between a point south-west of Lake Austin to the Rabbit Proof Fence while the northern extent of Ned’s Creek Station marks the northern boundary. The area is covered by pastoral leases and mining tenements and includes large areas of unallocated Crown land.
Trust Advisory Committee (TAC)
The Yugunga-Nya Trust Advisory Committee (TAC) is made up of two members representing each of the three apical ancestral groups: Wilba, Ward, Wheelbarrow, and Dorizzi Family. The role of the TAC is to represent the views of the Yugunga-Nya community and provide recommendations and advice to Fiduciary Administration Services (the trustee) on investment and trust distributions to beneficiaries for charitable purposes. The same members also comprise the TAC for the Yugunga-Nya Direct Benefits Trust.
Engaging with TAC
The TAC typically meets six times a year. If you would like something raised on the agenda, you can reach out to any of the TAC members individually or complete the Trust Feedback Form via the Custodian Community app on your phone.
