Wayne Bergmann has been at the forefront of advocating for Indigenous rights and self-determination in the Kimberley for more than 20 years. As CEO of KRED Enterprises, an initiative of the Kimberley Land Council, he is pursuing his passion to drive social change in Kimberley communties while facilitating Aboriginal people’e engagement in the modern economy.
This passion comes from his strong Indigenous cultural connections gained while growing up in Derby and from his Nyikina ancestry. Wayne has worked as a boilermaker, a lawyer, CEO of the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre and Executive Director of the Kimberley Land Council.
His current focus is on helping Indigenous people get control of their future through providing increased business opportuntities and economic independence.
Wayne has recently taken on his role at KRED Enterprises, a business development foundation, after spending 10 years as the head of the Kimberley Land Council, one of the largest organisations dealing with Aboriginal land rights and resources development issues. Through this role, Wayne proved his commitment to securing the rights and interests of Kimberley Traditional Owners through the Native Title system gaining recognition to 65 per cent of the Kimberley.
Wayne has also been pivotal in negotiating significant agreements between resource developers, industry and Government, on behalf of Traditional Owners to secure long-term benefits for Indigenous people. He has also implemented land and sea management activities across the region, including the Kimberley Indigenous Ranger Program which employs more than 80 rangers to look after country.
Wayne believes cultural and environmental values can be balanced with development in the region and is an advocate of Indigenous decision-making. He has applied these values to his former roles as Chair of the Western Australian Aboriginal Advisory Council, member of the Aboriginal Affairs Coordinating Committee, Chair of the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance; member of the Kimberley Development Commission; and the Kimberley Regional Planning Committee.
Speaking On:
Outlining Indigenous perspectives of opportunities with industry
Brian Wyatt is a Churchill Fellow who has had more than 30 years experience in community and government administration of Aboriginal affairs, including as an adviser to government. He held the position of CEO with the Goldfields Land and Sea Council for 11 years and was the inaugural Chairperson of the National Native Title Council (an alliance of Native Title Representative Bodies and Native Title Service Providers from around Australia). Mr Wyatt participates regularly in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues as well as the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This has led to him being invited to represent the Pacific Region at various UN Permanent Forum Workshops on Mining and Indigenous Communities in Siberia and the Philippines as well as Conferences on Climate Change in Alaska and Copenhagen. Mr Wyatt took up the role as Chief Executive Officer with the National Native Title Council in March 2010.
Speaking On:
The future of Indigenous people rests on the resolution of Native Title
Glen Kelly is the CEO of South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council. Glen is a Noongar man and brings to SWALSC 18 years of experience in Indigenous Affairs, much of it in Native Title and Indigenous land related issues. Glen has held a number of senior positions in Indigenous organisations, both as a manager and as an advocate of Indigenous interests, as well as positions within government agencies. Glen sits on a number of high level committees and statutory authorities at a State and Commonwealth level that relate to Indigenous land interests.
Glen is a keen advocate of Noongar interests, and in his role as the CEO he seeks to ensure that SWALSC is able to provide an efficient and effective service to Noongar people and their native title claims.
Speaking On:
Establishing plans to transfer land ownership & development to Traditional Owners
Mitchell holds a Bachelor of Environmental Management (with Honours) from Macquarie University and is undertaking a Masters of Public Policy from the Australian National University. Mitchell has been involved in policy relating to Indigenous people and carbon markets since 2007 when he contributed to the 2007 Australian Human Rights Commission’s Native Title Report. Since 2008 Mitchell has been working for the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency on the development of policies to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. Most recently he worked on the Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative and is coordinating the development of offset methodologies relating to savanna burning and rangeland rehabilitation.
Speaking On:
Participating in the Carbon Farming Initiative
Overcoming Native Title barriers to maximise land management opportunities
No-one understands the needs of the vast Australian continent like Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
In acknowledging this ‘caretaker’ role; land management as an avenue for economic independence; and property ownership the cornerstone of wealth and stable livelihoods – the need to free up the complex Native Title system is essential!
The 3rd Annual Aligning Indigenous Land Management with Economic Development Conference fleshes out opportunities and barriers to land tenure acquisition and how we can equip Traditional Owners to derive the benefits of which they are entitled.
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