Western Desert Sports Council delegates and supporters from Telfer Community Relations and the Department of Sport and
Recreation met at Telfer in June to progress plans to formally incorporate the organisation.
The move is expected to create a stable structure and rules for the organisation’s management and operations, and to
enable it to seek funding from various government agencies.

1800 people mustered to the homestead (the Marble Bar Race Track) and gathered to the fray, in order to participate in
Marble Bar’s social and sporting calendar event of the year - the 2010 Marble Bar Cup. 

Newcrest has sponsored a race at the event for the past six years and, for the second consecutive year, Newcrest

sponsored the major race on the card - the Newcrest Telfer Marble Bar Cup. It was a glorious day, with people arriving
from stations near and far to absorb the atmosphere and enjoy the spectacle the day provided.
Congratulations to the Newcrest Telfer Marble Bar Cup’s winning horse, Dancrist, who charged under the expertise of
jockey Jeffrey Barry, with a sharp and sudden dash for the finish line. Craig Thompson, Support Services Manager from
Telfer, presented the golden trophy.

Telfer’s coordinator of Indigenous Training Bruce and ITEC Employment’s job placement officer Kate Fowler discuss plans for the next Telfer-based Indigenous Training Program, which will involve participants from Warralong taking part in the 15-week program. The course aims to deliver graduates ready-for-work in a mining environment and is the fifth conducted at Telfer, in conjunction with Pilbara TAFE’s Pundulmurra campus, in the past three years. Most graduates have secured employment at Telfer, other mines, and in local communities.

Telfer Community Relations is supporting preliminary investigations into enhancing broadcasting capabilities in the
region through integrating existing equipment with new technology.
The study could result in radio and internet broadcasting throughout the region that would enable Martu communities to
listen to, and produce, programs of music, news, information and interviews of specific interest to them.
As part of the study, media consultant Renato Fiore discussed the broadcasting facility at Punmu with former RAWA school
principal Peter McLennan.

Telfer recently hosted Punmu’s RAWA high school students on a tour of the mine site to assist them in learning more
about the operation of a major Australian gold mining operation. A visit to a massive haul truck was a highlight.

The Western Desert Lands Aboriginal Council has appointed Noel Whitehead as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Noel joined WDLAC after working in a number of positions throughout his career, including a 20-year career in the State
Public Service where he worked primarily in industrial relations and was, for six years, head of the State Department of
Productivity and Labour Relations.
He also worked as an adviser to Labor Governments in the portfolios of Indigenous Affairs, Industrial Relations, and
Police.
Noel worked for the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union as an industrial officer, solicitor and most recently as
the Team Leader responsible for the Union's solicitors and industrial officers.
In 1995-96 Noel worked in the Pilbara with the Injibarndi and Ngarluma people, and was responsible for setting up the
first Land Council for the traditional owners, which coordinated the two land claims of the two groups.  
Noel is excited about the challenges ahead at WDLAC and is keen to meet as many Martu people as possible.
Noel regards his new role as CEO as an honour and a privilege and is keen to gain positive opportunities for the Martu
people and their communities.

Over a two-day period in late July, 12 people gathered in Punmu for another important stage in the development and
planning of the Niminjarra Road.
The team comprised surveyor Steve Burrows and road engineer John King, both from Cardno; Department of Environment and
Conservation officers Alex Bowlay, Alison McGilvray and Neil Gibson; WDLAC heritage officer Philip Haydock; traditional
owners including Waka Taylor, Minyawu Miller, Milton Chapman and Lindsay Hardcase; Newcrest community relations
superintendent Leon van Erp; and pilot Justin Hooper, from Helicopters Australia.
The primary aims of the trip were to confirm a likely road alignment, particularly the route between Lake Dora and Lake
Blanche where more than one way through is possible; and to lay targets along the length of the route in preparation for
aerial photography.  
The aerial photography will assist with the detailed design of the road.
The DEC officers were also able to collect samples of flora and make fauna observations in remote and rarely-visited
sections of Karlamilyi National Park as part of a preliminary environmental scan of the proposed road corridor within
the park.
Progress on the Niminjarra Road may appear slow but, in fact, much has been achieved during the past year:
✔  Regular meetings of the Steering Group for the project;
✔  Confirmation from the Martu at their AGM in September 2009 that the project is one they wholeheartedly support and
see as important;
✔  Direction from the AGM that the issues still to be discussed about management and maintenance of the road should be
dealt with through the Park Council - a Council of Martu who work with DEC on management issues for the Karlamilyi
National Park.
Issues include final alignment, access, ownership and maintenance.
✔  Re-establishment of the Park Council, leading to its first Council meeting for a number of years, held in Parnngurr
in March this year, and convened by DEC.
The meeting proposed an alternative alignment for consideration for one portion of the road between the two lakes, and
identified the traditional owners who could speak for the land and advise on suitability of this proposed new alignment;
and
✔  The on-ground survey trip on July 22 and 23 to lay survey targets on the ground prior to aerial photography of the
route.  
Following detailed design of the road and subsequent sign-off by all parties including the Martu, the project will move
through to the approvals phase.
This will involve thorough environmental and cultural surveys of the road alignment.
The rate of progress through the various planning stages for the road is dependent on the availability of funding, but
it is envisaged that the project will move to approvals phase during 2011.

Niminjarra Road to create direct link
The two communities of Punmu and Parnngurr are located in Karlamiliyi National Park, and lie about 120 kilometres apart.
However, the journey between them currently involves a 7-hour, 350-kilometre trip.
The Niminjarra Road will create a direct route between the two communities, and would cut a one-way journey to about two
hours, saving 220km in travel distance and about 4 hours in travel time.
The road would be a natural terrain road, with gravel sheeting across the sand dunes, suitable for cars and small
trucks.

Steve Burrows sets up a survey target prior to aerial photography.

Road route options are discussed.

Alison McGilvray identifies animal tracks.

Newcrest is supporting the Martu Trust with landscaping improvements to their office located near Pundulmurra College in
South Hedland.
Work on the site includes reticulating and laying grass at the front of the property, new paving surrounding the
building, and erection of pergolas, which were retrieved from a demolished adjacent house.
The project will be completed with a parking area, children's play area, an outdoor meeting area, rear lawns, and
perimeter gardens that may include mango, macadamia and pistachio nut trees, and vegetables.  
All the work has involved Martu workers, including some students from the adjacent TAFE Hospitality course, members of
the Warralong community, and some local folk who have helped when needed.

Newcrest is again sponsoring a Certificate 1 in Kitchen Operations course at South Hedland. The course attracted 14
students Warralong, Bidyadanga, Jigalong and Kunawarritji. The course also involved two mentors, Evelyn Mitchel and
Dolores French.
Additionally, the students attended a Keys for Life program at Bloodwood Tree to start them on the road to a Learner's
Permit and eventually a Driver's Licence. The 7-week course included a visit to Telfer.

For Jan Simpson, this was her first return to Country in a quarter of a century.
Jan’s visit to her birthplace of Jigalong, which she left in 1985, followed a request from her sister Maria to visit and
catch up with family and old friends.
And, it was now possibly for Jan to do so, with the facilities of the new respite renal dialysis centre now available to
her. “I’m excited to be here, and to be with my sister - we were very happy to see each other,” Jan said.
“This is a very good facility, it’s very neat and clean, and the nurses are very good,” said Jan with a smile as nurse
Sue Taylor attended to her and nurse Mian Wong watched on through an adjacent office.
Nearby, Leslie Watson was also receiving treatment.
This was Leslie’s third session of treatments conducted over two weeks at the facility since services began last
September. It’s good to be back here, spending time with my wife and son,” said Leslie. “It feels good to be at this
facility. I look forward o being here. It’s home.”
The “Maintenance Crew”:  Meanwhile, when the dialysis centre is not in operation, a group of Year 8 students at the
nearby Jigalong Community School under the direction of teacher Andy Wilson have been helping keep the property’s
gardens and surrounds neat and tidy.
The boys honing their gardening skills are Aron Wumi, Ethan Patch, Adrian Dunn, Stanley Wongawol, Gareth Samson, Ainsley
Sammy, Aidan Crunkhorn, Shaun Oliver and Samuel Bosveld.