Former Pangurr community chairman locked out of his home, possessions burned

A founding member of Pangurr community, near Telfer, said he returned after a period of mourning to find he was locked out of his home with most of his belongings gone.

"When I went out to there I seen it was all burned," Jimmy Williams said.

"All he left in that house was a gun cabinet. My belongings and everything was all gone."

Mr Williams, who used to be Pangurr chairman, said the community’s problems began when the new directors employed Ian Geoffrey Underwood as coordinator several years ago.

"I want him out completely," Mr Williams said.

"And we need to change the directors."

However the community’s former coordinator John Reudavey says the directors had written letters asking him to come back as the office had not been run properly.

"Mate I was ready to go when I got those letters," he said.

"Elders and directors were ringing me towards the end of November last year. And they couldn't believe that I wasn't already in the car driving over."

John Reudavey has been running the sister community of Punmu for 14 years.

He said he would be happy to help.

"As soon as I get the OK from the community – I want a big community meeting when they're all back there because I know they've got big funerals coming up so they are expecting up to 1000 people. I'm more than happy to go back to my old stomping ground, sort it out again. This will be the fourth time. Get it back on track. Get the directors and the community involved with running the office as we used to before."

Mr Underwood faces criminal charges on other matters in Newman Magistrate’s Court and South Hedland District Court next week.

Ngaarda Media understands he has left the community and may be interstate.