Nerita Waight

I am a proud Yorta Yorta and Narrandjeri woman and mother of two young boys. I want to be part of creating a future where all our children grow up connected to culture and community, our strengths are celebrated, and our people are thriving.

I was raised by my mother who was a compassionate leader in the community. I was also lucky to have other strong figures in my life who have served as continual inspiration during the many swerves, peaks and lows in my journey thus far. The base of culture, connection and hope they provided meant that I have always sought to use my voice and skills to create the future I want not just for me but for our communities.

As CEO of VALS, I’ve worked to amplify our communities’ voices on important law reforms. The best part of the work is being with the community in forums, yarns and our disaster relief work. We established new services for Aboriginal children and our people who have been mistreated by police and prisons because the community wanted this help.

I will ensure that Treaty works for each of our communities and that all our children can grow up strong and proud.