A not-for-profit, Indigenous organisation in Western Australia has a new logistics base in the Pilbara thanks to funding from the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation.
Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa's (KJ) new digs in Newman will provide the organisation with a dedicated space to prepare, maintain and store essential equipment, including archival Indigenous heritage items.
For the past 20 years, KJ has delivered social initiatives, including cultural, youth, leadership, and justice reform programs, as well as family programs, across four remote communities in the east Pilbara region.
But due to space constraints, the Western Australian not-for-profit has been unable to deliver some of its Martu-led programs.
However, following $1.1m in funding from the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC), KJ's new hub will support the organisation in expanding its services.
KJ executive director, Zan King, said the new space was an investment in Martu people, culture and capability.
"As our organisation has grown, so too has our responsibility to deliver strong, community-led outcomes," she said.
"This space will allow us to operate more effectively on Country, support our programs, and ensure Martu knowledge and leadership continue to thrive for generations to come."
KJ is now the largest employer of Martu people, with over 500 employees, 48 per cent of them female.
Martu are the Traditional Owners of a large part of central Western Australia, which extends from the Great Sandy Desert in the north to around Wiluna in the south.
ILSC chief executive Joe Morrison said KJ's acquisition would create income opportunities for Martu families.
"When the ILSC partners with First Nations groups to support their economic empowerment, positive outcomes ultimately flow on to the wider Indigenous community," he said.
"The economic benefits that come from returning and managing Country, which is the ILSC's core purpose, are immeasurable.
"KJ's new homebase is a clear example of how self-determination drives success for many Indigenous groups."
KJ's rangers cover more than 13.8 million hectares of Martu Country - almost equivalent to the size of Nepal.
The rangers make more than 80 trips to County each year, monitoring and protecting areas of natural and cultural value, such as waterholes and threatened species against invasive flora.
