Aboriginal Lands Trust

Meeting dates for 2025

Please note meeting dates/locations are subject to change.

For more information, please contact the ALT Secretary on 08 6551 8171 or via email on ALT@dplh.wa.gov.au

Roanna Edwards (Chairperson)
Term of appointment – November 2021 – November 2025

Roanna currently works as Director WA for PwC’s Indigenous Consulting and is an experienced community engagement manager with a demonstrated history of working in the utilities industry and across Aboriginal Affairs. Roanna brings a sound knowledge of housing service provision in regional/remote communities across WA. She has previously worked for the Northern Land Council, leading the Council’s communications around native title, pastoral leases, mining leases and gazetted townships. She also has a strong media background as previous board member on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Indigenous Advisory Panel.

Rowena Mouda
Term of appointment – August 2020 – June 2028

Rowena is currently employed by Ngunga Women’s Group in Derby and leads the early years team delivering playgroups in the Derby region. Rowena has over 20 years experience in community and economic development in remote Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley region. As a native title member, she is actively involved in supporting her family and tribal native title interests within the region, serving on committees and boards. In October 2019, Rowena joined the Shire of Derby / West Kimberley for a 4 year term as a Councillor.

Andrew Dowding 
Term of appointment – August 2020 – June 2028

Andrew is from the Ngarluma traditional owner group and grew up between Perth, Sydney, and the Pilbara. He has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney majoring in both Anthropology and History, and is a current PhD candidate in Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development at the University of Melbourne. Andrew has lived and worked in a range of places from Perth, Broome, Arnhem Land, Los Angeles, Sydney, New Delhi and Roebourne. Each of these places has influenced the skills and experience that he brings to his current role as Managing Director of Winyama. Andrew’s major professional roles have been in the fields of Native Title, ethnographic heritage survey and more recently in Indigenous mapping. Andrew’s passion is Indigenous mapping and the use of technology for cultural safeguarding. He co-founded Winyama in 2018 to provide more opportunity for Indigenous people to work in the geospatial industry and within the broader digital economy.

Cecilia (Cissy) Gore-Birch
Term of appointment - March 2023 - March 2029

Cissy is a Jaru and Kija woman with connections to Balanggarra, Nyikina, and Bunuba country. She has worked in Aboriginal land management and community development for over twenty years. Cissy is the Chairperson of the Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC in the East Kimberley, as well as a member of the Kimberley Development Commission, having been appointed in 2018.

Brett Lewis
Term of appointment - March 2023 - March 2029

Brett is from the Northern Goldfields region with extensive experience in the business and community sectors. He is Chairperson of the Tjiwarl Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC representing the native title holders for an area of about 13,000 square kilometres between Leinster and Wiluna in the Northern Goldfields. Brett is a founder and Managing Director of an Aboriginal owned and operated construction and haulage company (Bundarra Contracting), which holds pastoral subleases over Albion Downs, Mount Keith, Yakabindie and Leinster Stations.

Jamie Strickland
Term of appointment – January 2024 to January 2028

Jamie lives in Geraldton and is a Yamatji man with strong links to Badimia and Wajarri country, and also Yued in Noongar country. He has worked predominately for State Government for over 30 years, starting on a traineeship at what was Homeswest in Geraldton in 1992 and most recently as Acting Assistant Director General – Aboriginal Outcomes for the Department of Communities. Jamie has also held a number of roles in the State Government at senior management and senior executive levels, including as Chief Land Officer (to the Aboriginal Lands Trust) and Executive Director Community Development at the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, and as Regional Director Midwest Gascoyne, Regional Executive Director Great Southern and Wheatbelt, and Executive Director StateWide Services, at the Department of Communities. Jamie was also the inaugural CEO for Yamatji Southern Regional Corporation and has considerable experience on boards. 

The Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Act 1972 (AAPA Act) makes provision for the establishment of an Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority and an Aboriginal Affairs Advisory Council for the purposes of providing consultative and other services for the economic, social and cultural advancement of Aboriginal people in Western Australia.

Read the Annual Report

For more information, visit the ALT Estate and Aboriginal Communities webpage