Project summaries - 2008 Protecting Our Places grants

Banbai Business Enterprises
Mother of Ducks Nature Reserve environmental project
Grant: $18,797

This project will undertake an environmental assessment and on-ground rehabilitation works of the Japanese Australian Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA) Chinese Australian Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA) listed Mother of Ducks Lagoon Nature Reserve in Guyra, northern NSW.

Barra:Way Wa:jad Traditional Owners Group Inc.
Shannon Creek environmental message and walking track implementation
Grant: $34,977

The project will involve the establishment of a 3 kilometre walking track downstream of the Shannon Creek water storage facility with interpretative signage, resting places, and demonstration plantings e.g. bush food, medicinal and other use plants which will be labelled in the local Gumbaynggir language and English. Six local Aboriginal people will be trained to Certificate II level in Conservation and Land Management modules and gain some related paid work experience with all track related activities. These activities will foster Aboriginal environmental awareness, sustainability initiatives and capacity building within the local region and the broader community.

Blue Mountains Aboriginal Culture and Resource Centre
Blue Mountains Indigenous gardens - revegetation project
Grant: $35,000

The revegetation project aims to focus on creek bank stabilisation and rehabilitation of the riparian, grassland and tall open-forest areas on Harold Hodgson Park in Victoria St, Katoomba. Sections of this site have been remediated from a past grant including the creation of a 700 square metre indigenous plant use garden on a heavily degraded section of land on the site. A group of site trained CLM Certified local Aboriginal participants (ACRC members and Landcare participants) who are working on the present project site, will be able to utilise their skills to work on the currently proposed revegetation project with a focus on extra training opportunities.

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Djigay Centre of Excellence, Kempsey Campus, North Coast Institute of TAFE
Dunghutti Elders/Pandanus people protecting our places partnership
Grant: $25,810

This project will continue the development of strategic partnership with community to deliver environmental, educational, cultural and social outcomes. We will endeavour to improve the knowledge transfer and communication within our local Aboriginal community, partners and peak industry bodies. We plan to undertake weed control, bush regeneration and planting of provenance native species over an area of 1.92 hectares at Arakoon. Our project plans to use new plant labelling technology using Indigenous naming of native plants. This will be referenced to the new Dunghutti Language Dictionary published by Murrbay Language Centre 2008.

Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council
Burnum Burnum and Mill Creek regeneration
Grant: $35,000

To create sustainable routes for people to educate and raise awareness of the value of the catchment, its role in supporting biodiversity, clean water, eradication of any noxious weeds and protecting Aboriginal cultural and spiritual sites.

Guyra Local Aboriginal Land Council
Restore our land with plant species, label them and erect totems
Grant: $35,000

To embrace rehabilitation and enhance education on our cultural significant land and plant species to our people and the wider communities at large. The aforementioned achievements would unambiguously be obtained with assistance from our people in partnership with other organisations. The project's final outcome will be the significant improvements to the environment and community relationships.

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Lachlan Aboriginal Natural Resource Management Corporation
Natural resource management - Aboriginal cultural heritage canoe trip
Grant: $29,493

To stage a series of 3 day natural resource management and Aboriginal cultural heritage canoe trips along the Lachlan River involving students from both public and private schools located in the Lachlan catchment. The trip will give students an insight into issues affecting both NRM and cultural heritage along the Lachlan River. Throughout the trip we will engage government agencies, land managers and Aboriginal Elders to be guest speakers to talk to the students on NRM and cultural heritage issues such as willow infestation, European carp etc. Participants will also engage in rehabilitation on Aboriginal land along the river.

Little Yuin Aboriginal Preschool Corporation
Little Yuin environmental education project
Grant: $9,872

Little Yuin Aboriginal Preschool is located within the picturesque Wallaga Lake Aboriginal Village, situated on the NSW far south coast steeped in culture and endowed with beautiful landscapes. This is to be home to an innovative environmental education project, one which incorporates a variety of environmental themes such as using clean renewable energy, recycling, habitat modelling, revegetation, complimented with culture and traditional resource management. The demographic of the early childhood is largely unengaged, this project intends to change this and it is perceived that it will in fact foster education and behaviour change within the Aboriginal community.

Merana Aboriginal Community Association for the Hawkesbury Inc.
Yellomundee regional park Aboriginal Bushcare group
Grant: $31,200

Community development and education through healing and caring for country, offering support, training and cultural awareness. The aim is to share skills among the community which include bush regeneration, mentoring and role modelling while establishing a gathering place in which to enhance cultural identity and future employment opportunities. The process involves a healthy practical approach to community wellbeing and getting back on country as everyone will have opportunities to participate and contribute as they feel comfortable. The group is not exclusive to Darug peoples, it is open to any interested Aboriginal person.

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Minimbah and District Aboriginal Elders Inc.
Elder cultural re-education and bush tucker talks/signage/planting
Grant: $7,920

• The Minimbah Elders will participate in excursions to significant local sites to culturally re-educate themselves in traditional Aboriginal culture related to the Worimi tribe, and then conduct educational activities for the wider community. 
  
• The Forster Community Garden (FCG) - bush tucker talks and walks project will provide an opportunity for residents and visitors to the Great Lakes to gain an understanding of the types of bush tucker that was utilised in our area and the importance of the environment for the Worimi people - tours will commence from the FCG, to the Forster/Tuncurry bridge and Pebbly Beach, highlighting significant Indigenous features along the way.

Murray and Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations
Murray country - sharing Indigenous environmental values
Grant: $35,000

This project will provide capacity building and skills transfer for three MLDRIN member nations (traditional owners) and the development of educational resources on Indigenous environmental values and cultural economy. The project will involve the following elements:

• skills transfer and capacity building in flora and fauna identification
• research and publication of brochures on cultural resources and
• how they relate to environmental issues; research and publication of species identification kits, tailored to local Indigenous community needs.

Muru Mittigar Limited
Cumberland Plains Woodland: country and culture education
Grant: $29,670

This project will highlight to the local community that they are living in an endangered ecological community - it will explain what this means and what each individual can do to help recover the Cumberland Woodland Plains in their own backyard and within their community. This message will be delivered via a series of Indigenous cultural events at Muru Mittigar which will also educate the community and promote Indigenous culture through communicating the value Aboriginal communities place on their natural environment.

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United Githabul Nation Aboriginal Corporation
Bush regeneration at 12 hectares at Bean Creek Falls a declared Aboriginal place
Grant: $30,690

Environmental and cultural heritage values at Bean Creek Falls are degraded by lantana, a weed of national significance. The project will remove weed competition from 12 hectares of native vegetation, allowing native seedlings to establish, restoring access to the bush and waterholes for traditional and recreational purposes and improve fauna habitat value. Participants will not only use developing bush regeneration skills to regenerate their country but will also learn new skills in fauna surveying. Understanding in the broad community of Aboriginal land management and the cultural uses of native vegetation will be enhanced by holding a field day and erecting signage at the Falls day trip area.

Warada Aboriginal Landcare Group
Restoring land, restoring country, restoring culture
Grant: $35,000

The project is at the base of Kincumber Mountain Reserve which is significant to Aboriginal people. The proposed site has invasive plants and weeds encroaching on native bushland and endangering habitats of endemic native flora and fauna. The project will educate the community about the environment and cultural significance and allow for restoration and rehabilitation of the land. This project will allow for an Aboriginal perspective throughout and engage the Aboriginal community.

Warren/Macquarie Local Aboriginal Land Council
Rehabilitate/revegetate Beemunnel Aboriginal land
Grant: $35,000

In the early 90's the Aboriginal community of Warren camped on the outskirts of the town at a place called Beemunnel Reserve. The camp extended onto the adjoining stock reserve. The community eventually moved into town but the actual reserve remained in the hands of the local Aboriginal land council with the adjoining stock reserve then being granted to the land council in 1994. Although the reserve has been maintained the area handed back hasn't and the land council wants to rehabilitate the land, using a training program.

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Yabur Yulgun CDEP Aboriginal Corporation
Cubawee bank stabilisation on Leycester Creek
Grant: $34,194

Professional bush regenerators will be employed to revegetate, restore and rehabilitate the banks of Leycester Creek on the culturally significant Aboriginal site of Cubawee. The creek banks on site are almost devoid of vegetation which has resulted in bank slumping and erosion, which will be remediated through revegetation with native riparian flora species of local provenance. This project will contribute to improvements in riparian vegetation, bank stability, habitat connectivity, water quality and biodiversity.

Yaegl Local Aboriginal Land Council
Thorny Island - Yaegl bush regeneration - project stage 2
Grant: $34,749

Thorny Island is located within the Clarence River estuary approximately 1 kilometre north of Yamba. The island has a range of introduced weeds. The project is an extension of 2007-2008 Protecting Our Places project and will remove domestic rubbish and clear weeds that have established throughout swamp oak and saltmarsh communities. Weed clearing will encourage regrowth of native grasses, trees, riparian, mangroves, wetlands and saltmarsh species shrubs and vines. The work will continue to improve the environmental condition of a large estuarine island that support habitat for native fauna and is part of the Lower Clarence estuary system.

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