Noongar Boodja Trust

The Noongar Boodja Trust is part of the governance structure for the South West Native Title Settlement between the Noongar People and the State of Western Australia. Together we are working in partnership with Noongar people to realise the aspirations of the community that are intrinsically linked to Boodja (country), Kaarditjin (culture) and Moort (community).

The Trust will hold, maintain and grow the compensation paid by the State of Western Australia to the Noongar people as part of the Settlement. These benefits will be applied to the six Noongar regional corporations and the central services corporation who represent the Noongar community.

The state government will make 12 payments into the Trust that increase with CPI each year to keep up with inflation. The first payment of $60 million was made in 2021, just after the Settlement took effect. A second payment of $63 million was made last year, and this year’s payment was $68 million.

The payments are just one part of the Settlement, along with land, housing and other resources. The payments are made into two different funds, which are designed to provide both short-term and long-term financial sustainability to the Noongar Nation.

The Operations Fund will be used to support the work of the seven Noongar corporations for the first twelve years. This work includes social and economic programs, land management and advocacy on behalf of our people and community.

The Noongar Future Fund will remain untouched for these twelve years, giving it time to grow large enough to give our Noongar Nation economic independence and sustainability, so our work can continue long into the future.

The entire Noongar Boodja Trust, which includes these two funds, is protected by an ‘independent trustee’ for the first twelve years. The Noongar people appointed Perpetual Trustee Company (Perpetual) as this independent trustee.

The Noongar Advisory Company (NAC) was created to provide important cultural context and understanding to Perpetual when it makes decisions about the Trust, so that Noongar views are always central to every decision that gets made.

During this twelve year period Perpetual will transfer more and more responsibility to the NAC, preparing them to become the ‘dedicated trustee’, with full responsibility for the Trust. The NAC will then become the sole trustee for Noongar Boodja Trust, so that when it’s used to provide social, cultural and economic benefits to the Noongar people for generations to come, all decisions will be completely in Noongar control.

The Trust will create an enduring legacy of self-determination for the Noongar people.

Noongar Boodja Trust committees

The Trust uses a number of committees to faciliate good communication between the Noongar corporations and other stakeholders, and to ensure that the Trust is being managed effectively on behalf of Noongar people. Understanding what they’re for might seem a little confusing, but here’s a quick overview of how they work.

The trust committees include:

  • Noongar Corporations Committee

  • Noongar Relationship Committee

  • Noongar Investment Committee

  • Noongar Nominations Committee

Noongar Corporations Committee (NCC)

The Noongar Corporations Committee is a forum for the six regional corporations and the central services corporation to work together to progress the Settlement. It is made up of the chairs and the CEOs of each of these 7 Noongar corporations.

Noongar Relationship Committee (NRC)

The Noongar Relationship Committee is the main connection between the Noongar corporations and the Noongar Boodja Trust. It is made up of all the members of the NCC, a representative of the Trustee, and independent director and a Noongar community representative.

Its main role is to provide a forum for review of the Trustee’s obligations to the Noongar corporations under the trust deed. It also has a role in the review of the central services corporation’s services to the regional corporations, and for discussion about administrative and operational matters of the Noongar corporations.

Noongar Investment Committee (NIC)

The Noongar Investment Committee will be responsible for developing the investment policy that will replace the default investment policy (Schedule 11 of the Trust Deed), and consulting with the Noongar Corporations Committee, the Noongar Advisory Company, and the State of Western Australia about investment matters. It will also select investment managers and review their performance, and have a role in assessing and arranging for the development or sale of properties included in the Development Land Fund.

Noongar Nominations Committee (NCC)

The Noongar Nominations Committee manages the selection processes for board and committee positions for the Noongar Investment Committee and the Noongar Advisory Company, and ensures that candidates to become Noongar corporation directors meet the eligibility requirements for election, such as not being disqualified under relevant laws, having an established record of sound contribution to the operations of boards and committees, and being of good standing.

The NNC is made up of a Trustee representative (who is the chair), one Noongar person nominated by the Trustee and recommended by the Noongar Advisory Company, two representatives of the Noongar community that have experience with directorships and boards and two independent persons who have experience with directorships and boards. Members of the NNC cannot also be directors of any of the Noongar corporations, or members of any other Trust committees.