Yesterday’s GLSC annual general meeting in Kalgoorlie-Boulder saw several new faces elected to the corporation’s 13-member Governing Committee.  

New members are Dianne Logan, Vanessa Thomas, Johnny Graham, Karen Vincent, Ivan Forrest and Sharon Tucker. Re-elected were Ricky Dimer, Allan Bonney, Laurence Thomas, Brian Champion Jnr, Fabian Tucker and Cyril Barnes.  

Chairman Ian Tucker was also returned. Mr Tucker has led the GLSC since 1999, except for a one-year absence in 2007. He is an elected councillor with the Menzies Shire Council and Chairman of the Menzies Aboriginal Corporation.  

“Our new team will continue to vigorously pursue our people’s native title rights, while at the same time working hard to ensure a deeper role for our people in the region’s social and economic life,” Mr Tucker said.  

In his report to the AGM, CEO Brian Wyatt reflected on progress over the past 10 years, speaking of initiatives past and present that have positioned the GLSC as one of the nation’s most highly regarded Aboriginal corporations.  

“With GLSC support, Goldfields indigenous people are in the vanguard in Australia for asserting their rights as laid down in international covenants, notably the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007,” he said.  

Earlier this year the GLSC adopted a mining policy, which embodies the notion of Free Prior and Informed Consent, a key platform of the UN declaration.  

Mr Wyatt unveiled two new initiatives for further protecting the heritage rights of indigenous people:

• a publication that guides explorers and miners on their heritage obligations under the Aboriginal Heritage Act (1972); and
• a brochure that spells out Aboriginal people’s rights under the Land Administration Act 1997 (WA) for accessing pastoral lands. 

This year’s AGM was the last to be held under the GLSC’s existing constitution. In accordance with requirements of the new Commonwealth Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act), members approved new ‘rules’ for the organisation’s future operations. The CATSI Act requires all Aboriginal corporations adopt stringent new governance requirements, and governing committees will be replaced by boards of directors.  

Media contact: Brian Wyatt 0417 970413; Ian Tucker 0417 983743; David Berry 0417 963089