The Gumala Housing Support Program
On Monday, 1 May the Gumala Aboriginal Corporation Housing Support Program was named Category 3 winner – Large organisation providing collaborative, innovative or creative programs or services at the Community Services Excellence Awards.
All Together
The word Gumala means “all together” in the Banjima language. This name represents the unification of the Banjima, Nyiyaparli and Yinhawangka language groups from the Pilbara region who came together to negotiate the Yandi Land Use Agreement (YLUA) with Hamersley Iron Pty Limited (now owned by Rio Tinto) in 1997. The General Gumala Foundation (GGF) Trust Deed was signed in the same year, outlining the relationship between the Manager of the GGF, Gumala Aboriginal Corporation (GAC), the Trustee of the GGF, Gumala Investments Pty Ltd (GIPL) and the Traditional Owners. This agreement would be the first major agreement for the Central Pilbara region.
Mike Rowe – Director General Department of Communities, Justin Dhu – Executive Officer Gumala Aboriginal Corporation and John Raftis – Executive Officer Gumala Investments Pty Ltd
Together, GAC, GIPL, and Gumala Enterprises Pty Ltd (GEPL) form the General Gumala Foundation; a charitable trust working towards the relief of poverty, sickness, suffering, distress, misfortune or destitution of their members.
GAC was formed to act as the Manager of the Foundation. GAC, a Membership organisation, serves the people from the Banjima, Yinhawangka and Nyiyaparli language groups, with a membership made up of over 2,000 Traditional Owners living around Australia, including in Hedland, Karratha, Perth, Tom Price, Roebourne and homeland communities.
GIPL was established to act as the Trustee of the GGF, as a “safe pair of hands” to ensure the best interests of the Gumala Members are being met both now and in the future. This involves managing the monies received and distributed under the terms of the trust deed, including building an investment portfolio to provide an ongoing stream of income for future generations.
Once a member, the Traditional Owners of the Banjima, Yinhawangka and Nyiyaparli language groups, can access support from Gumala through program funding, that can cover things like education costs, funeral expenses and expenses to support healthy living.
Gumala Housing Support Program
As the Manager of the General Gumala Foundation, GAC implemented the Gumala Housing Support Program in November 2021.
The program provides a holistic approach to support Gumala Members into permanent housing through transitional means. The support for Members doesn’t end once they’re placed into one of the properties, as the GAC Housing Support team can connect members to other support services to help them on their journey.
Justin Dhu, Executive Officer for GAC, says starting the program was about acknowledging the issues members faced and weaving an Aboriginal worldview into the service delivery.
“It was important for us to weave together mainstream concepts like a waitlist and a structured criteria with cultural facets of working,” Mr Dhu said.
“For Aboriginal people by Aboriginal people.”
“Like, the importance of looking after our elders, transiency of our people and multiple generations being under one roof. From the outset and throughout, it’s for Aboriginal people by Aboriginal people.”
The Gumala Housing Support program houses around 172 adults and children in their 44 properties (including four head leases), with a further 148 people on the waitlist, which shows the need for this service.
Gumala Housing Support Home in South Hedland
Just the Start
The Gumala Housing Support program utilises GIPL, the Trustee of the General Gumala Foundation. GIPL are responsible for sourcing, purchasing and maintaining the properties, allocating investment funds to do so.
GIPL is also in the process of obtaining new housing software that will enable greater efficiency, with properties continuing to be purchased. John Raftis, Executive Officer for GIPL, can see the benefit not only for Gumala’s Members, but also their communities.
“We understand how important it is for our members to be able to live in the Pilbara, and we keep this in mind when we’re sourcing our properties,” Mr Raftis said.
“We’re supporting both our members and the wider communities.”
“GIPL also plays a key role in contributing to local economies, by utilising local contractors and businesses, particularly Aboriginal-owned businesses, ensuring we’re supporting both our members and the wider communities they’re part of.”
ACHO Sector Strengthening Project
Shelter WA’s Clint Uink and Ellie Morrissey recently sat down with John as part of the ACHO (Aboriginal Community Housing Organisations) Sector Strengthening project, funded by the Department of Communities, to learn more about the work Gumala is doing.
Clint Uink, Ellie Morrissey, with John Raftis, Executive Officer at Gumula Trust
Shelter WA’s ACHO Sector Strengthening project is currently focusing on connecting with ACHOs to understand how we can help strengthen the sector, enable peer to peer knowledge sharing, resource exchange and relationship building between ACHOs.
Please get in touch by emailing ellie.morrissey@shelterwa.org.au if you are interested in hearing more about the project or if you are a ACCO that provides property and tenancy management services in WA and would like to be involved in the project.
