Our theme for 2025: sustainability for future generations
As we begin another eventful year, it’s good to take a look back at everything we’ve achieved for our mob.
Last year was a year of transition for Ballardong Aboriginal Corporation — from start-up to a period of development and growth.
In October we were thrilled to introduce the new Ballardong ranger team, led by two senior rangers: Dawn Garlett and Judd Davis. The other members of our team are: Caitlin Buchanan, Jelissa Pitts, Casey Garlett, Hannahleese Narrier and Felecia (Fifi) Pitt-Ryder, Travis Ryder, Mark Kickett, Daniel Hansen and Roland Loo.
They’ve already completed the first 12 units of their Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystem Management, a greencard for dieback and a DFES bushfire fundamentals course. They also attended conferences hosted by the Noongar Language Centre and Karla Katitjin Bushfire Centre of Excellence and have had lots of meetings with stakeholders across the region to learn and share knowledge.
The Ballardong ranger program is funded through the DBCA Aboriginal Ranger Program. We’ve secured a permanent home with a depot at Muresk, and next year we’ll be working on getting additional bases across Ballardong boodja. We’re all very proud of our rangers and the work they’ve done so far. They’re also looking moorditj in their new uniforms and getting noticed around Northam!
While our rangers are busy protecting and maintaining our boodja, our new Lands team is working on bringing more land back into Noongar hands through the Noongar Land Estate. This land will serve a variety of purposes, including cultural, commercial and housing, all of which will be for the benefit of Noongar people today and for many generations to come.
In August we welcomed four new member-elected directors, who were elected by a majority of our members to lead us through this next stage of our journey.
Chairperson Tracey de Grussa, Carol Garlett, Farley Garlett and Murray Jones began their terms at the close of our AGM in October, joining our independent directors Tahnee Davies and Melanie Williams. Melanie joined our board earlier this year, while Tahnee has been with us from the beginning.
BAC would also like to thank our outgoing member-elected directors — Murray Yarran, Michael Blurton, Kevin Fitzgerald and Norm Pickett — for their service to the corporation and the Ballardong agreement group.
It’s important to have a mix of new perspectives and continuity to help BAC to grow while staying responsive to members. It will help us to maintain a strong foundation of knowledge about the decisions that brought us here as we change and adapt to new challenges. We support the decision that members made in this recent election, and we can’t wait to look back again this time next year to see the progress we’ve made.
The theme for 2025 will be sustainability for future generations, with a particular focus on land and finances. Some of the projects we’ll be working on include:
launching a range of Ballardong health products using locally grown ingredients;
selling rare and endangered plants, which will be grown by our own rangers to help us restore Ballardong land and increase the amount of native plants on private land as well;
developing a for-profit heritage service to finance heritage projects that are important to Ballardong mob; and
providing commercial services to local governments and businesses, including fire breaks, fence repairs.
With this work we’ll help make our regional corporation more financially sustainable, so that we’re less reliant on government funding and grants to help us do our work.
Finally, in the next year we’ll be increasing our commitment to engaging with members, because this is how we’ll build our strong and united Noongar Nation. If you’ve recently moved house, or changed your phone or email address, please let us know so that we can stay in touch.
Implementing the Settlement is complex work, but we’ve already come a very long way, and we’re always getting closer to achieving our big picture: self-determination.