UPDATES FROM THE TRUST

Art Competition: The AM-YAC Indigenous Community Trust is updating its Member Benefit Guidelines and would like community input on the design for the new and updated guidelines.

Art Competition: The Trust is holding an art competition. The winner’s artwork will be published in the Member Benefits Guidelines and other Trust publications. It will also be displayed in the AM-YAC office in Cooper Pedy. The winner will receive $1,500 for the Trust to purchase the artwork.

Children’s Art Competition: Children of AM-YAC Members are invited to submit their artwork, which will be published in the Member Benefit Guidelines. The themes are Education, Culture, Our Elders, and Wellbeing. Winners will receive gift vouchers worth $200.

The competition closes on July 12, 2025, and winners will be announced on July 21, 2025, via the AM-YAC website. Please take a photo of the artwork and send it to: AMYAC@perpetual.com.au

Elders’ Payments 
Attention 45+ and 60+ AM-YAC Members: If you have not yet received your Elders payment, please submit your application. The Trust will be processing payments this financial year. Members will receive one payment as follows:

Members 60+ who have not yet received it will get a $5,000 Elders payment.
Members 45+ who have not yet received it will get a $3,000 Elders payment.

This is effective from April 10, 2025, and only one payment will be made based on your current age.

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The AM-YAC Indigenous Community Trust is in place to assist AM-YAC Members. Below is an overview of our purpose and policies. Please note all Community Assistance Programs have annual funding caps and funding is not always available.

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Charitable Objects and Purposes

The AM-YAC Indigenous Community Trust provides benefits to AM-YAC members in accordance with the Trust’s Charitable Objects and Purposes via the Community Assistance Programs which are updated from time to time.  

The Trustee receives advice from the Trust Advisory Council comprised of the AM-YAC RNTBC directors regarding the charitable programs  and funding amounts on a financial year cycle.

• The relief of poverty, sickness, suffering, destitution, misfortune and helplessness in the Community;
• To provide grants, scholarships, bursaries and other assistance
• (financial or otherwise) for the education, including vocational training and economic and enterprise training of the members of the Community;
• To promote health in the Community;
• To provide for the needs of the elderly and infirm members of the Community;
• To provide cultural and heritage benefits to the Community;
• To provide grants and other assistance for the protection and preservation of the natural environment;
• To provide transport and communication services to the Community;
• To provide for the long term needs of future generations of members of the Community;
• To promote, protect and maintain the traditional laws and culture of the Community;
• To provide assistance to the Community for housing programs;
• To provide funding for or to implement Community projects, Community facilities and Community activities for the furtherance of these charitable objects and purposes.

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Eligibility to Receive Trust Assistance

In order to receive a distribution under the community assistance programs:

• You must be on the register of AM-YAC members (as provided by AM-YAC RNTBC);
• You must complete an application form and provide all of the required supporting documents for your application to be considered; You must sign or otherwise authorise the application (the Executive Office can help with this); and
• Your application must be provided to the Executive Office by electronic application, email, post, or by hand application.
• The trust is moving to electronic application forms. Some pdf’s may still circulate in community and be submitted by email.

Please note in reference to these community assistance programs:

• If your application doesn’t comply with the community assistance programs, it may be declined.
• Assistance will be provided through payments made directly to stores or through purchase orders. No cash will be provided to (with the exception of Elder’s Payments).
• Your place of residence will be deemed to be the address recorded on the member register or listed on your current driver’s licence.

For the purposes of this Schedule, ‘Immediate Family’ is defined as an individual’s parents, grandparents, spouse, siblings, children and grandchildren. The relationship must be a blood relationship or one as defined by Australian law.

AM-YAC Service Standards

Please refer to the AM-YAC Service Standards below for all application processes.

Applications

• Acknowledgement of receipt of online applications – Same day
• Acknowledgement of receipt of email applications – next business day
• Approval and delivery where application is consistent with Policy and Trust budget – 3 days or less.
• Receipt of benefit 5 business days or less where the application conforms to Community Assistance Programs and budget.
• Response where application does not conform to Policy – 3 days following the Trust Advisory Council meeting.

Telephone Service – 9:30am to 2:00pm – Monday to Friday excluding public holidays and Christmas closure period.

Voicemail – Checked at 11am on weekends, public holidays and Christmas Closure Period.

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