Management

Eddie Jampijinpa Robertson
Chairperson

Eddie has been involved with WYDAC since it began: as an Outstation Support Worker, a Board Member and now Chairperson. Eddie was Yuendumu Council’s (now CDRC) longest serving President and now works as an Indigenous Engagement Officer in Yuendumu. Eddie was acknowledged for his long-term contribution to the Warlpiri community when he became the 2015 Northern Territory Senior Australian of the Year.

Lottie Napangardi Robertson
Chairperson

Lottie currently works as a Trainee Local Coordinator with Batchelor Institute. She holds a Bachelor of Indigenous Health Studies and worked for years as a Community Nutrition Worker and on the Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture Program in Yuendumu. Lottie has also been a long-term member of WYDAC and a support worker for the Outstation program.

Matt Davidson
CEO

With 20 years senior management experience, Matt brings to WYDAC a wealth of knowledge and expertise. His previous roles include CEO at Youth Insearch Foundation and Executive Manager at Wesley Mission, where he founded the Operation Hope program. He has been a Director on several Boards including the National Accreditation Board, National Youth Development Foundation, Homeless and Needy Children’s Trust, and Youth Insearch Foundation.

His tertiary qualifications include Business Management (post graduate MBA) Charles Sturt University; Human Resource Management (post graduate) Charles Sturt; and Agricultural Science (undergraduate) University of Adelaide, where he won the prestigious James Hardie Award.

Matt is a strong leader with extensive strategic and financial management expertise. He has substantial experience in liaising with state and federal governments and a passion for helping disadvantaged and marginalised people. He is married to Gayle and they have four children and two grandchildren.

Peggy Nampijinpa Brown OAM
Program Founder and Cultural Advisor

Peggy is the Outstation program founder and continues to work at the outstation and occasionally visit other communities to tell the story of how WYDAC beat petrol sniffing.

Ruth Wall
Operations Manager

Ruth lived in Yuendumu as a child and now lives here with her husband and daughter. She has also worked with other organisatons in Yuendumu, Willowra and Warburton. She joined WYDAC in 2011.

Sunaina Pinto
Youth Services Manager

Sunaina came to WYDAC with nine years of experience working with young people, in intensive case management settings. Sunaina worked predominantly with young people who were homeless with high and complex needs, including chronic AOD misuse, complex mental health issues and high levels of interaction with the legal and state “care” systems. Sunaina has worked for The Wayside Chapel, The Crossing, Mission Australia, The Shopfront Legal centre, and has volunteered at WIPAN and Just reinvest. Sunaina is a strong advocate for justice and human rights for young people and believes in the value and importance of Indigenous language and culture in Australia and is interested in contributing to initiatives, programs and organisations that keep the diversity and strength of these alive. Sunaina arrived at WYDAC mid 2015 and was the Jaru Pirrijirdi (Yuendumu youth program) Coordinator for just over a year before accepting the role as the Youth Services Manager at Wydac, both her experience and interest have made her a good fit in the desert and she feels excited (and terrified!) about the challenges ahead.

Helma Quinn-Leeman
Client Services Manager

Thomas Jangala Rice
Senior Advisor

Thomas Rice is a respected Yuendumu elder and one of the founders of the Jaru Pirrjirdi Program. Thomas has worked alongside the Coordinators of Jaru Pirrjirdi to teach young people about Warlpiri Law and Culture. With his family’s support, Thomas’ work with Jaru Pirrjirdi has been instrumental in its success.

Management and Administration

• Promote strong Warlpiri governance, leadership and employment
• Robust quality management system ensures adherence to legislative & contractual compliances
• ISO 9001:2008 Accreditation since 2011 and audited annually
• Financial accountability overseen by the Board, accounts reviews, annual independent audit

Program History

WYDAC, then Mt Theo Program, was started in 1993 by the Yuendumu Community to address chronic petrol sniffing in Yuendumu. Elders of the Yuendumu Community initiated and ran the program at their own expense, with additional support from local organisations such as the School and Shop. There was no other initial formal funding.

The program began by taking those young people who were sniffing petrol to Mt Theo Outstation, some 160km from Yuendumu. At Mt Theo Outstation, elders cared for the youth, as part of a cultural rehabilitation program on sacred and remote Warlpiri country. Mt Theo Outstation clients spend time in the cultural respite and rehabilitation program, where they reconnect with their culture, family, health and education in a supportive and caring remote bush environment. Clients may present with any ‘youth at risk’ issue, not just for petrol sniffing or substance misuse, and are referred by Community Elders, Police and Corrections. Since 1993 Mt Theo Outstation has taken over 500 young Warlpiri clients from over 14 different communities, including Alice Springs.

The other core service introduced in 1993 was a comprehensive Youth Diversionary Program in Yuendumu. Elders saw the underlying need for youth to be engaged, interested and challenged by activities outside of school hours and thus not engage in at risk behavior. In 2002 the Yuendumu youth diversion program was expanded beyond basic ‘sport, rec and entertainment’ to a comprehensive youth development service aimed at facilitating strong future pathways and leadership activities. This Jaru Pirrjirdi (Strong Voices) program focused on the creation of meaningful life and pathways for Yuendumu youth through additional assistance with education, training, employment and targeted project work.

Elders of other Warlpiri communities noted the strength of these efforts and in 2004 in Willowra, 2007 in Nyirrpi and 2008 in Lajamanu, WYDAC was invited, and funded, to implement youth diversion and development programs in each of these three communities. In 2008 this also saw the development of Yuendumu Swimming Pool. WYDAC now has permanent full time staff in each of these communities providing positive, healthy, engaging and challenging diversionary and development activities for youth of all ages. These youth programs also serve as a critical referral and aftercare pathway for the client services such as Mt Theo Outstation and the Counselling teams.

Clients in Yuendumu are supported by the Warra-Warra Kanyi Counselling program. Since 2009, our professionally qualified counsellors and local staff provide skilled individual and group client support within Yuendumu. This service also includes an after-hours crisis response service. More recently the Client Services team has also extended its services to also provide client counseling, support and education services to the WYDAC Outreach communities.