Ngumpan Statement

We, the members of the five representative organisations of the Kimberley, speak with one voice for the protection of our Country, our culture and our water. These are the foundation of our identity, our law, our language and our spirit. 

As people of the oldest continuous living culture and caretakers of some of the world’s most ancient landscapes, we call on Governments to reject short-term thinking. Decisions made today must honour the long view – one that respects Country, culture, and community and protects them for future generations. We cannot afford short-term solutions to long-term challenges. 

Water is life. It sustains our Country, our people, and our culture. For thousands of years, we have cared for it, keeping it in balance. Yet WA’s water laws, written over a century ago, do not recognise our relationship to water or our rights in it. We cannot allow the mistakes of other regions, where water has been overallocated and mismanaged, to be repeated here. The Kimberley must lead with a precautionary, sustainable approach grounded in Aboriginal knowledge and leadership. 

Our cultural heritage is our past, our present, and our future. It holds our stories and connects our people across generations. We have seen it destroyed under weak laws, as with Darrajayin, a highly significant cultural site which included both men’s and women’s sacred areas and places important to the Serpent Dreaming Story (Jawaren) and the Moon Dreaming Story (Garnkiny) on Malarngowen Country. Still, the laws in WA and nationally fail to provide meaningful protection. This must change. We call for strong, best- practice cultural heritage laws that protect our sacred places and ensure our voices are at the centre of all decisions about our heritage. 

Fracking threatens our Country. The risks to water, culture, and community are too great, and the protections too weak. Most of WA is already protected from fracking and the Kimberley should be no different. Until there are genuine rights of veto for Traditional Owners and a robust regulatory framework, there must be a moratorium on all fracking in our region. 

Our young people are stepping forward with pride and purpose. They are the future custodians of our Country and culture, and they are already contributing their knowledge, creativity and leadership. We must create pathways that 

empower them to carry forward our law, language and stories – supported by strong education, meaningful employment opportunities and deep connection to culture and Country. 

Despite these challenges, we continue to grow our own future. We build programs, businesses, and industries that create jobs, strengthen culture, and improve the wellbeing of our people. These enterprises drive economic, social, and cultural outcomes that support self-determination and deliver prosperity for Kimberley Aboriginal people, on our own terms, and in ways that keep Country healthy. 

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap promises shared decision-making with Aboriginal people. This is the time to honour that commitment. Not with words, but with action. 

We call on the Governments of Western Australia and Australia to: 

• Reform water laws to recognise Traditional Owners rights, knowledge and leadership in decision-making. 

• Deliver strong, nationally consistent cultural heritage protections that meet best-practice standards. 

• Impose a moratorium on fracking in the Kimberley until Traditional Owner veto rights and best-practice regulation are in place. 

• Invest in co-designed initiatives that support Kimberley Aboriginal young people to thrive, centred around education, employment and cultural connection. 

• Recognise and engage with the Kimberley Aboriginal Regional Body (KARB), as the authority for the voice of the Kimberley Aboriginal People. 

We speak with one voice to protect our Country, our language, our culture, and our future. Guided by our old people, whose strength, dignity, and resilience have carried us through generations, we are grounded in the power of our heritage, led by our law and united in our responsibility to those who came before us and those yet to come.