At this year’s Yule River Bush Meeting, Community leadership was clear: progress depends on government, agencies and service providers listening to what Community has already identified, and committing to practical, long-term action. With the self-determination of Aboriginal Peoples across the Pilbara at the center of every conversation, Community brought their priorities directly to Ministers and agency representatives, creating an important space for accountability, investment, and outcomes that support future generations.
Held during the 80th anniversary of the Pilbara Strike, the event carried a strong sense of history and purpose. Community members remembered and celebrated stories of courage, resilience, and determination, grounding discussions of today’s opportunities, and challenges in a long history of standing up and leading change.
Throughout the gathering, Community members spoke clearly about the priorities that need sustained attention. They named Pilbara Aboriginal languages as a key focus, particularly within schools, alongside stronger mental health and social and emotional wellbeing supports, safe and reliable water access, appropriate housing for people returning to Country, and greater investment in youth services across the region. Community members also called for funding commitments that reflect the scale of the work ahead – long-term, generational investment rather than short-term funding cycles.
Community’s call for accountability was met with direct engagement from Ministers and government representatives. Minister Punch committed to returning in six months to review progress against the Yule River Call to Action, and indicated he would engage with Ministers Winton, and McGurk on opportunities to support language work in schools, a practical next step toward turning the priorities raised at Yule River into action.
One of the standout moments was the Water Corporation Listening Session, where Community members shared their experiences, perspectives, and priorities directly with this service provider. Community highlighted water safety and access as priorities requiring continued attention, and the session reflected what’s possible when service providers listen first, understand local needs and build partnerships that respond to Community priorities. As one Community member put it, “Water is life.” We thank the Yule River Working Group and Water Corporation for supporting the session.
We acknowledge Samantha Barba and Scott Mackenzie for coordinating this important conversation with Water Corporation, and Henry Lockyer who facilitated the listening sessions. Our dedicated staff are at the heart of this work, and their ongoing commitment and care for Community are deeply valued.
PAHA’s presence at Yule River reflected its role in walking alongside Community, supporting what Community is calling for with practical action to strengthen health, wellbeing, and services across the Pilbara.
The PAHA stall created space for conversations with Community members and organisations, spanning environmental health, accessing health care on Country, research, and regional health priorities. These conversations reinforced what Community has long known: that health planning is strongest when it’s grounded in local knowledge, lived experiences, and the priorities Community members are already raising.
For PAHA, the Yule River Bush Meeting reinforced a message that echoed throughout the gathering: sustainable change starts with Community leadership. Eighty years on from the Pilbara Strike, that same spirit of standing up and leading change was alive at Yule River, and it grows when government, agencies, and service providers are prepared to listen, learn, and walk alongside Community for the long term.
