Members of vital Indigenous service Beananging Kwuurt Institute have strongly challenged claims by the Uniting Church WA that irreconcilable differences were behind its decision to close the site aiding the Aboriginal community's most vulnerable people in Perth's south-east.

BKI has refuted Uniting Church WA moderator Ian Tozer claims in a letter last week to church ministers and councils the BKI board was self-determining, with control of financial management, and was suspended because of "irreconcilable differences" with the UAICC.

His claims of meaningful mediation between the parties last year was also rejected, with one of the UAICC WA's two committee members – Mitchell Garlett – a no show at the three-day talks, and no members of BKI allowed to talk to UAICC representatives or hear whatever the alleged 'irreconcilable differences' were.

"We now no longer feel safe to dialogue with the former management. We tried, in good faith, to have constructive discussions, including a three-day, independently facilitated mediation, but sadly that was unsuccessful," the UAICC WA said.

A BKI spokesperson claims this assertion is a fabrication.

"How can you have a mediation when you are not even privy to the alleged concerns? The whole process was a sham, and the first we heard about personal views on the 'Voice' was in the media," the spokesperson said.

In the letter, Reverend Tozer confirmed the closure of BKI, which was established in 2007 as an agency of the Uniting Church in WA, at the request and under the general oversight of the WA Regional Committee of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC).

The BKI board was ratified after a 'Covenant' agreement between the Uniting Church Australia (UCA) and the UAICC, to govern a social services arm for Aboriginal people in need.

He said since the closure was ratified, the UCA had been focused on ensuring remaining funds, ($5.5 million was initially granted in 2007), were appropriately managed, "so liabilities have been covered, and legal obligations met, in preparation for what we had hoped was to be an orderly transition on 13 December".

BKI members said that all the funds were gone, years ago, the property left in disrepair and the money now being withheld was earned by the BKI women's art group, which the UCA had no right to keep.

The closure is clouded in mystery, with vital services vulnerable Aboriginal people relied on daily discontinued, and the church and UAICC unable to explain how and when they would continue, if ever.

Reverend Tozer said the church hoped alternate service providers could "open their arms" and help vulnerable people BKI supported, despite there being none in the vicinity.

"The land will be secured until the UAICC WA Regional Committee is able to progress their plans for the site," Mr Tozer wrote, despite the WA UAICC and UCA being unable to divulge what those plans were.

The BKI women say the two church organisations respectively controlled and used up all the $5.5 million, plus considerable interest and grant monies, and left BKI's finances and property in tatters.

BKI has been operating from a small building among many abandoned ones on the four-hectare Queens Park site located on what once was the old Sister Kate's Children's Home, where many Aboriginal children endured trauma during the Stolen Generations.

The UCA and UAICC cited "differences" with the organisation, but did not specify them other than noting some members of BKI publicly campaigned against the Voice, using BKI social media.

A UCA media statement told the NIT in October that "despite significant efforts over a long period of time to achieve the vision of BKI, in May 2024 the UCA made the difficult decision, at the request of the UAICC, to close BKI".

"Differences were highlighted when members of BKI publicly promoted a 'no' vote to the Voice Referendum," it said.

UAICC chairman Reverend Mark Kickett told National Indigenous Times last month "discrepancies" the two church groups had with some BKI attendees over the issue of the Voice were a main reason for enacting its rights under the 'Covenant' relationship to shut essential services.

"In terms of the 2021 board, one of the things that really disturbed us was the supporting of the 'No' vote [in last year's Voice to Parliament referendum], when Congress had made a clear statement around its support of the 'Yes' vote, along with the Uniting Church," Reverend Kickett said.

"We felt the relationships between the [BKI] board and Congress were just moving in different directions."

Reverend Kickett also admitted the financial governance of BKI before the 2021 board fell short of the mark and "was a terrible time", confirming the governance of the UAICC WA was now being reviewed.

An unsigned statement regarding BKI's closure from the Uniting Aboriginal & Islander Christian Congress WA – run by only two men – Mitchell Garlett and Rob Jetta – said it was not "powerful or perfect" but "trying to be faithful to the calling God has on our lives, to serve our community and support those in need, and to do so in a way that honours our culture and our old people".

"This is why our predecessors set up Beananging Kwuurt Institute (BKI) and ran it for many years – to be an Indigenous led and run place of support and healing for our people," it read.

"We feel privileged to be custodians of this place and have felt great sorrow to see it slip from our oversight."

BKI women maintain if the UAICC WA were so privileged to be the custodians of the property, then why did they refuse all invitations to visit the property over the last 3 years and were conspicuous in their absence.

Despite the new board in 2021 overseeing the restoration of essential services and governance, the UAICC WA said it was not comfortable with the current BKI operation.

"We feel entrusted with the BKI legacy but were increasingly troubled to see BKI taken in a direction that did not align with that legacy or even its constitution," the UAICC WA said.

"For these reasons and others, we made the difficult decision, after years of attempts to find another way, to request the Uniting Church to not renew the lease for the previous managers.

"We want to make clear that we hold no ill-will towards any of the people who have attended or run any of the activities at BKI.

"Once we have conducted a thorough review to update the governance structures; source a sustainable funding base, and restore the safety of the premises, we hope you and many more families in our community will again be able to access the services of BKI."

The WA regional committee's response has been contradicted by the BKI, which points to the stability of the new board - led by Ms Katina Law, since 2021 – introduction of new programs, such as its burgeoning art workshops, and its self-sufficient delivery of services, despite the two church groups not addressing expensive maintenance and safety issues that hampered BKI's operations, and withdrawing all funding.

Marilyn Garlett, wife of the late Reverend Sealin Garlett (original chair of the BKI and UAICC WA), stated: "We are finding it so overwhelming to come to terms with the malice and downright disrespect that we are facing all in the name of money, greed and worldly materials."

A BKI spokesperson said that none of the BKI participants had any idea what Mrs Garlett was talking about and had begged for constructive talks.

"We want to continue vital services, and no Christian should see this as unreasonable," they said.

The BKI women remain defiant and have occupied the property since its closure, along with a number of protesters who support them.

They say they will continue their occupation for as long as it takes, until the UCA and UAICC enter into constructive talks.