The Yuendumu youth program scrutinised by the coronial inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker has been abandoned by a key funding body, following ongoing "instability" and "governance issues".
According to its 2021 financial report, the Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation (WYDAC) receives more than $9 million in grants a year to provide programs for young people and their families in four communities, including Yuendumu.
Last week, several current and former WYDAC employees gave evidence before the coroner, reflecting on how the program could have better supported young people and families in Yuendumu, where Mr Walker died in a police shooting in 2019.
Constable Zachary Rolfe was found not guilty of all charges over his death.
On Monday, WYDAC's youth program staff were told their short-term contracts would not be renewed and ongoing staff were told they would have to wait for further advice, following revelations its youth programs had been defunded.
Interim chief executive Noel Clifford said youth programs, which provide recreation, education and diversion, would soon cease operations, leaving the community without a permanent youth program.
The Central Land Council (CLC) administers most of the funding for WYDAC's youth programs.
In a statement, chief executive Les Turner said the program had failed to deliver quality services in recent years.
"We made ... expectations in relation to program governance, delivery and reporting very clear, but WYDAC has proven unwilling or unable to deliver the contracted services," he said.
The CLC said it notified WYDAC that its contract, valued at nearly $2 million this financial year, would be terminated in November.
The decision to do so was unrelated to evidence heard by the inquest.
The Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) said in a statement it was "concerned" about WYDAC.
"ORIC is currently considering the best approach to WYDAC's governance and its impact on the current instability," the statement read.
'Irresponsible' to continue contracts
WYDAC's youth programs are funded through the CLC by the Warlpiri Education and Training Trust (WETT), which channels Warlpiri mining royalties into community development programs.
The CLC said the decision to terminate WYDAC's contracts was made following consultation with the governing committee, which is made up of Warlpiri leaders from the four communities.
The ABC understands youth programs in Willowra and Nyirripi have been nearly non-operational for the past year, while other programs operated below contractual expectations.
"When Yapa (Warlpiri people) invest their collective income from land use agreements in quality education and training outcomes, they expect partner organisations to deliver on those outcomes and that their funds and efforts do not go to waste," Mr Turner said.
"It would simply have been irresponsible to have allowed the contracts to continue."
ORIC said the WYDAC board had reached out to it for governance training and help with recruitment.
Mr Turner said the CLC had tried "over many years" to support WYDAC's capacity to deliver programs.
A proud legacy
Founded in 1993 as the Mount Theo program to address petrol sniffing in the community, WYDAC gradually expanded and has historically been applauded for supporting young people.
But former WYDAC employee Kerri-Anne Chilvers told the coronial inquest into Mr Walker's death WYDAC's services had "deteriorated" since 2016, following the exit of two key managers.
The Coroner also heard long-term recruitment issues had hampered the organisation, which has had four chief executives in two years.
A current manager giving evidence at the inquest attributed the staffing challenges to media attention on the community following Mr Walker's death.
The CLC says it has redirected some of the WETT funding to the Central Desert Regional Council, which, as an interim measure, will be providing six weeks of youth programming in Yuendumu over the summer holidays.
A Warlpiri woman who lives in Yuendumu, who did not want to be identified, said WYDAC's closure made her feel "very sad" and "worried" for the community's young people.
She worried young people would become "bored" and act out by breaking into houses.
The youth program and the associated learning centre were how many people accessed the internet, she said, and without access to these resources the community would be seriously disadvantaged.
WYDAC requests community support
Mr Clifford did not respond to a number of detailed questions from the ABC, but in a statement said WYDAC was in the process of restructuring the organisation and its staffing requirements.
Mr Clifford said WYDAC would continue to run other, non-WETT-funded programs.
"WYDAC requests for the communities' continuous support and understanding in this time of transition," he said.
WYDAC receives additional funding from the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) and Territory Families, for other programs that will continue to operate.
Territory Families and the NIAA said they would continue funding their existing contracts with WYDAC.
