- More than $416,000 allocated to preserve Aboriginal cultural heritage across the Pilbara
- Nine projects funded through the Preserve, Promote and Protect our Aboriginal Sites grants program
- Part of the Cook Labor Government’s commitment to protecting and preserving Aboriginal cultural heritage
Aboriginal communities across the Pilbara will receive support to protect culturally significant sites and preserve cultural knowledge through a Cook Labor Government grants program.
A total of $1.25 million has been allocated to Aboriginal Corporations and not-for-profit organisations across Western Australia to deliver projects that preserve, protect, and promote Aboriginal cultural heritage.
Of that, $416,482.63 has been awarded to nine projects across the Pilbara, representing almost one-third of the 30 projects funded State-wide.
Successful recipients are:
- Mugarinya Community Association Inc (two projects);
- Warrindahs of the Ngurra;
- Wanparta Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (two projects);
- Budadee Aboriginal Corporation;
- Kariyarra Pirnthurruna Aboriginal Corporation (two projects); and
- Gobawarrah Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC.
Among the successful projects, Mugarinya Community Association received $50,000 for the Peawah Ridge and Wogulana Rock heritage project, which will support site identification and mapping, cultural knowledge recording, fencing and signage, vegetation management, and digital promotion of these significant heritage places.
Budadee Aboriginal Corporation also received $46,709 for the 2025/26 Woodstock-Abydos Protected Area Signage Project, which will enable consultation and reconnaissance trip with Elders to inform the design and installation of signage for the Woodstock-Abydos Protected Area.
Other funded projects across the Pilbara include burial ground protection, site conservation works, fencing and interpretive signage, as well as initiatives that support truth-telling through the recording and preservation of Traditional Owner knowledge. Together, these projects will help safeguard important heritage places while ensuring cultural stories and histories can be shared with future generations.
Consultation and engagement with Traditional Owners is central to the planning and delivery of all projects, ensuring cultural knowledge and local priorities guide heritage protection efforts on Country.
The Preserve, Promote and Protect our Aboriginal Sites grants program supports practical, community-led initiatives that conserve Aboriginal cultural heritage and deliver social, cultural, and economic benefits for local Aboriginal communities.
For more information about the grants program and funded projects, visit Grants to preserve and protect Aboriginal sites at www.wa.gov.au
Comments attributed to Aboriginal Affairs Minister Don Punch:
“The Pilbara is home to places of profound cultural significance, and these projects will help ensure important stories, knowledge, and heritage sites are protected and preserved for future generations.
“Aboriginal communities are leading this important work on Country, combining cultural knowledge with practical conservation activities to care for places that hold deep historical and cultural value.
“These projects go beyond protecting physical sites. They support truth-telling by recording and preserving Traditional Owner knowledge, ensuring the rich histories and cultural connections of the Pilbara continue to be shared and understood for generations to come.”
Comments attributed to Pilbara MLA Kevin Michel:
“As local member, it’s wonderful to see investment flowing into community-led projects that will protect culturally significant places across the Pilbara and keep important cultural knowledge strong.
“These grants will support local communities to care for Country, strengthen cultural connections, and ensure future generations can continue to learn from and celebrate the Pilbara’s rich Aboriginal heritage.”
