GRANITES MINE AFFECTED AREA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION
Granites Mine Affected Area Aboriginal Corporation (GMAAAC) was established in 1991 to receive affected area compensation income from the Granites Mine. The Granites Mine is located approximately 540km north-west of Alice Springs in the Tanami Desert. Affected area income is payable under section 64(3) of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (ALRA). (GMAAAC) provides the largest income stream of our community development program. The funds compensate nine Tanami communities for the social impacts of the Granites gold mines.
Our Aboriginal Associations Management Centre supported the GMAAAC since 1991, but our community development program was better equipped to bring sustainable community benefits consistent with the corporation’s rules and objectives. So, in 2008,the Community Development Unit commenced working with the nine affected communities.
Half of the GMAAAC’s income is invested for after the mine’s closure, and the remainder is divided between the nine communities for community benefit projects.
Each community elects a committee to prioritise, plan and fund projects. Our community development unit facilitates this work and helps the committees to increase their governance capacity.
The committees elect 18 directors who oversee the corporation’s investments.
Between 2008 and 2024, they invested more than $100 million in community benefit projects. These projects create jobs for yapa, contracts for local business sand support community priorities such as language, culture, education, training essential services and infrastructure.
Some recent examples are Lajamanu’s water park, a ‘cultural mapping’ project in Willowra, cemetery research projects in Lajamanu, Tanami Downs and Ringer Soak, a dance camp for Warlpiri women and girls and the establishment of an art centre in Yuelamu .
In 2024, GMAAAC was a Category 3 finalist in the well-respected Indigenous Governance Awards. This category recognises effective governance within large Indigenous-led incorporated organizations that earn over $1 million in revenue. Four Directors represented GMAAAC at the Awards Ceremony on 6 November 2024. Cyril Tasman, GMAAAC Director for Lajamanu reflected on his experience, “It was an honour to be invited to the Indigenous Governance Awards. It shows just how far GMAAAC has come, and it was a proud moment for GMAAAC and the CLC to be recognised for the work that has been done”. GMAAAC holds an outstanding commitment to strong and inclusive governance, ensuring Yapa voices are always at the heart of decision-making. The Good Governance Program (GGP) supports continuous learning of the GMAAAC directors in both corporate governance and financial literacy which underpins the strength of GMAAAC as a whole.
GMAAAC – Our Land, Our Projects, Our Future
The GMAAAC Directors commissioned Pintubi, Anmatyerre Warlpiri Media (PAW Media) in 2020 to make a film for the residents that tells the GMAAAC story, celebrates GMAAAC’s achievements and shows them how they can get involved in the corporation’s community projects and governance.
The film was made in collaboration with the nine GMAAAC community committees, the GMAAAC Directors and the Central Land Council Community Development unit staff.
