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Despite the controversy surrounding its author, Craig Silvey's book Runt contains character and scenario that could exist if the WA Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 didn't exist or if water allocations are not managed appropriately.

In the fictional town of Upson Downs, Earl Robert- Barren comes to town, blocks the river and collects all the water for himself. Of course everything died and farmers had to sell their farms back to the Earl, who then installed a pipe, released the water and bought the properties back to life again.

Aboriginal people were not considered in the water debates of 1914 or 1939 but they have been considered in the debates of 2017- present.

Be heard tonight in Fitzroy Crossing at 5pm and tomorrow at 10am in Halls Creek.

Andrea will be speaking with DWERs Kylie La Spina about the plan at 1.30pm and it will air shortly after and be available online for those unable to attend.

Illustration: Sara Acton, "Runt"

Leon dancing like no one is watching…

Happy Wednesday

Awesome work Fremantle Dockers with your Next Generation Academy with Central Kimberley Football Basketball League

"Powers to Intervene in Families Deserve the Highest Level of Scrutiny"

150 submissions were received for the Legislative Scrutiny Committee NT "Care and Protection of Children Legislation Amendment (Every Child Matters) Bill 2026 Child Protection Bill", which was only open for one week.

The cornerstone of the proposal is how the Bill approaches the Best Interests of the Child. This remains the paramount consideration of the new Bill. What the Act currently does is offer a list of criteria that the Court may consider when deciding what is in a child's best interest, now and into the future.

What the Bill proposes is to prescribe certain considerations, including safety and protection from harm are listed first with capacity of parents listed at the bottom of the list and given the least amount of weight.

It is important to note that intervention orders are often made ex-parte in the first instance, which means they are granted by the court on the evidence of Child Protection Authorities without families having their evidence considered by the court. It can actually be months before a hearing in a court and this impacts children's contact with their family and where they are living.

For this reason it is even more important that safety is considered as broadly and holistically as possible, due to the enormous power vested in Child Protection authorities, including the possibly of harm from removal, both immediately and in the long term.

One of the pieces of evidence that can assist families to be reunified is a Parenting Capacity Assistance, which looks at all a variety of factors around a parent and while the psychological tools used in writing these reports can be contentious, it can provide valuable information to the Department. The current Bill prioritises many of these factors much lower, reducing the need to prioritise such reports, which can highlight strengths of families that can be protective.

Child Protection receive a huge number of notifications each year and triage. The shift of language in the Bill may lead the Department to err on the side of safety and lead to more removals.

No one is saying that we should leave children in unsafe circumstances but child protection assessments are complex but removal can deprive children of things that make them feel safe and having a system focused on removal may fail to think carefully about how we assist children and families to address risks of harm and support communities to create safety. Simply moving kids out does not address safety within the community as a whole.

Listen to Andrea's conversation with Professor Paul Gray here: (42 minutes)
https://omny.fm/shows/kimberley-voices-6fx/child-protection-paul-gray-uts-may-29-2026

Professor Paul Gray also recently co-authored a paper led by Ash Wright titled "Attachment and the (mis)apprehension of Aboriginal children: epistemic violence in child welfare interventions
This can be accessed here: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/BBRMBRHRVQD3HAIIKPRZ/full?target=10.1080%2F13284207.2026.2682255&fbclid=IwY2xjawSQSRFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEev7gdBcXQS2S5XuYeis5RrhCFqiLq3Ckx9gSvNaElEh0v7yK_PQwPbvFtQNk_aem_yUafOz5s9aZGJ4vKAT5T-w#summary-abstract

Read all submissions on the Care and Protection of Children Legislation Amendment (Every Child Matters) Bill 2026 here:
https://parliament.nt.gov.au/committees/list/legislative-scrutiny-committee/67-2026

Photo: Professor Paul Gray Indigenous X

Gogo Cave School and Old Gogo Station Quarters Ruins

Bayulu Community Gets Tough on Liquor Restrictions

When reports of increasing DV come out people are always asking what elders and role models doing. One of the answers is this.

With support from Fitzroy Crossing Police and on the eve of Round 1 of the Central Kimberley Football Basketball League, the Bayulu Community began checking vehicles from 5.30pm for alcohol at the gate to stop it entering community.

Those who chose to drink were told to choose between the gate or go back to town.

Community members report it was successful and Bayulu Bulldogs played Round 1.

One minute at the river…
No matter what's happening,
The river is still flowing…

Submissions for the Fitzroy-Derby Water Plan close June 30 and Department of Water and Environmental Regulation are in town 5pm Wednesday at Boab 2 for community consultation.

There is an interesting pattern is you look back across the last fifty years and threat of development across the Kimberley region.

Nookanbah Dispute was a Charles Court Liberal Government.

The Late 1990s WA had a Liberal government and Bunuba people did a trip down Fitzroy River with Bob Brown to highlight the importance of the river.

The 2000s the Liberal Party also pushed damming ideas for the Fitzroy River, even going so far as to talk of holding a referendum about it being committed to building a 3700km concrete canal to carry water from the north of WA to Perth and discussing another idea of sending water to South Australia.

When Colin Barnett was in power between 2008 and 2017, there was also signficant discussions around irrigation on the Fitzroy River and in 2016 Gogo Station was given approval to apply for freehold tenure for its cropping project proposal under the State Government's Land Tenure Pathway for Irrigated Agriculture (LTPIA) project, as part of the $40 million Water for Food program, supported by Royalties for Regions.

In a democracy, governments consult with the people and they have opportunities to have their say on plans, such as the "Consultation draft – Fitzroy-Derby water resources management plan: policy and guidance".

It is important that people use these opportunties as when governments change so can plans and while there are safeguards in place that can make rolling back change slow, it is always possible.

Wednesday's meeting will be held at Boab 2.

Read the draft plans here:
https://consult.dwer.wa.gov.au/water-policy/consultation-draft-fitzroy-derby-water-resources/

Old Crossing
Sunday Afternoon

Aboriginal Identity

Two things can be true at the same time.

This is me at the 2023 Yajilarra Festival where the Bunuba Choir danced with the Joonba dancers and then sang with Fitzroy Xpress.

It was mostly made up of Danggu Bunuba Women from Broome, who came from Bunuba people, who'd been taken off country. We came together to learn Bunuba Girl.

Aboriginal Identity is a really painful, personal process for a lot of people that has nothing at all to do with money.

You can be Aboriginal and fair skinned.

You can be Aboriginal and still be learning language.

You can be Aboriginal and live away from your traditional country.

You can be Aboriginal and work.

You can be Aboriginal and not drink alcohol at all.

You can be Aboriginal and not do traditional dance and instead dance hip hop.

You can be Aboriginal and keep it to yourself through fear of judgement. Yes even in 2026.

Aboriginal Identity is incredibly diverse and there are over 200 language groups and areas of country.

Reducing identity down to a certain skin colour and criteria sheet is incredibly unhelpful.

Cultural safety is about creating an environment that is safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This means there is no assault, challenge or denial of their identity and experience.

Cultural safety is about:

Shared respect, shared meaning and shared knowledge
The experience of learning together with dignity and truly listening

Strategic and institutional reform to remove barriers to the optimal health, wellbeing and safety of Aboriginal people.

This includes addressing unconscious bias, racism and discrimination, and supporting Aboriginal self-determination
Individuals, organisations and systems ensuring their cultural values do not negatively impact on Aboriginal peoples, including addressing the potential for unconscious bias, racism and discrimination

Individuals, organisations and systems ensuring self-determination for Aboriginal people.

This includes sharing power (decision-making and governance) and resources with Aboriginal communities. It's especially relevant for the design, delivery and evaluation of services for Aboriginal people.

#aboriginal #auntylisa
#CulturalSafety

Reconciliation Week was Crazy for Insane Amounts of Racist Comments

Wangki Yupurnanupurru Radio is a proudly Aboriginal Radio station in Fitzroy Crossing run by an Aboriginal board that literally stands for sending out a message.

This post is the most views I have ever seen. Only 1% of that 228000 are followers so a lot will drop off but we stand by promoting Aboriginal strengths and success stories, how hard our Aboriginal organisations in the Fitzroy Valley work and how amazing everyone who lives here is.

We do discuss politics around Indigenous Affairs, Child Protection, Youth Justice, Languages, Disability, Water and Mining as those laws and decisions affect all of us, our families and communities.

We encourage respectful discussion but will move to block and hide comments that promote negativity or are outright violent or racist.

This was the post. The law is what it is. It is made through a combination of parliament and judges in courts and implemented by government agencies. Change is always possible for better and for worse. Stay vigilant
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18cPbJyWJv/

George Poole, Margaret Downs (Gogo) Station Manager

George Poole is the named father of my Nanna, Dora Poole, later known as Dorothea Myers. He also has a Fitzroy Crossing street named after him.

When I got my father's records these documents were included. She was not named in her will and there's been no attempts by sisters or their descendants to contact us.

It is possibly no coincidence that my Nanna was sent to Perth in 1927 after his death. An inspector was writing to the Native Welfare Commissioner about the kids on Gogo as early as 1921. It was all timing.

Two things can be true at the same time. I can be grateful that George Poole's existence meant my grandmother existed and eventually my father and me following her removal and still be sad for the challenges that have been faced in the last 100 years

– Andrea Myers

Fitzroy Crossing Library is now open Monday to Friday 8.30-3.30pm and they are looking for your ideas on what activities you want to be running for kids, families and community.

Kids are loving the uno cards and staff still have art supplies from previous night programs.

Travellers are loving sitting down just having a break and occasionally picking up a book.

Comment below and we will pass onto the amazing Shire of Derby/West Kimberley staff!

Katrina Cherel and her daughter Mahalia collected their $100 KAPCO meat voucher for their winning photo of a giant Goanna in early just before the Muludja Lions amazing win 100-0 over Kadjina Cat.

Congratulations 🎉

Thanks to our Sponsors Leedal Foundation Limited and Fitzroy River Lodge

Last Game of Round One

Good Luck River Roos!

Central Kimberley Football Basketball League

Kadjina Cats…
Pregame

Last Game!

Central Kimberley Football Basketball League