Aboriginal women in the news

Aboriginal Women in the Midwest region have been making the news lately with their efforts to support conservation in their traditional country.
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Aboriginal Women in the Midwest region have been making the news lately with their efforts to support conservation in their traditional country.

As part of the Midwest Aboriginal Ranger Program, NACC has been collaborating with conservation organisation Bush Heritage Australia and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) to provide Aboriginal women with experience in working on conservation and land management.

One of these experiences recently took place when NACC Aboriginal Program Coordinator Bianca McNeair, along with a group of fellow Malgana women, attended the annual DBCA Loggerhead Turtle Monitoring program in January at Dirk Hartog Island.

Dirk Hartog Island, known as Wirruwana to the Malgana people, is a DBCA managed reserve and important nesting ground for the endangered Loggerhead Turtles.

This particular Turtle Monitoring event was documented by local ABC-Midwest & Wheatbelt Producer Chris Lewis and then aired on ABC News on January 21. It also received a lot of attention on the ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt Facebook page. You can see the video here.

Malleefowl monitoring

Another group of local Aboriginal women were also recently in the news – after participating in a Malleefowl monitoring program at Bush Heritage Australia’s Eurardy Reserve, north of Northampton.

Clurrissa Kelly, Samara Martin, Monique Darcy and Jacklyn Kelly at the Eurardy Reserve homestead.
Clurrissa Kelly, Samara Martin, Monique Darcy and Jacklyn Kelly at the
Eurardy Reserve homestead.

The adventures and accomplishments of these Nanda women appeared in The Midwest Times under the very apt headline “On-country work strengthens sense of belonging”.

These stories have generated a lot of discussion and enthusiasm in the local Aboriginal community resulting in Bianca being in high demand to talk about the field excursions. Bianca was invited to speak on both Radio Mama and ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt radio stations.

“There is a lot of buzz around the activities that our women are doing at the moment and I can’t wait to share what we are planning next,” Bianca said.

“Aboriginal women have an instinctive and ancestral responsibility to nurture life.

Julie Dwyer, Irene, Jacklyn and Clurrissa Kelly, Monique Darcy and Samara Martin
Julie Dwyer, Irene, Jacklyn and Clurrissa Kelly, Monique Darcy and Samara Martin

“Opportunities like the Malleefowl monitoring and Turtle tagging programs provide us with a way to reconnect with that ancestral connection, while also gaining valuable experience in conservation and land management employment.

“We have some very strong women in our communities with a wealth of knowledge from their families, and they are ready to step-up and take-on their roles and responsibilities as environmental custodians.”

 

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In 2020-21 I talked about ‘raising the bar’. In 2021-22 we worked on setting the bar on fire. Over the last 12 months, the team at NACC NRM has not stopped.

The Sustainable Agriculture team has extended the program’s reach through collaborations with grower groups in the regions. Specifically, the Beyond Reasonable Drought project and Grower Group Alliance – South West WA Drought Innovation Hub – Geraldton Node project. The Beyond Reasonable Drought partnership with grower groups supported farmers across the region to improve the environmental sustainability of their agricultural production and drought resilience. The outcomes of this project have been consolidated through our successful Expression of Interest to the South West WA Drought Innovation Hub, with support from grower groups across the region, to host the Geraldton Node of the Hub. The program continues to focus on working with agricultural networks to share technical expertise and provide opportunities that will improve land management practices in agriculture across the region.

The conservation outcomes of ranger teams have expanded through work on several land tenures. Maintaining Heritage sites such as Willi Gulli, Racecourse Paddock and Buller River has long been a priority. During 2021-22, the teams have increasingly focused on threatened species and ecosystems.

To this end, Western Mulga rangers have improved management across 19,000 ha for the conservation of Malleefowl through firebreak and access management. They completed the maintenance of water holes and supported the monitoring of over 90 Malleefowl mounds.

Similarly, the Kwelena Mambakort Aboriginal Corporate ranger team have contributed positively to Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo populations by installing artificial hollows and habitat restoration.

All ranger teams have collected native seed, propagated native plants for restoration, and planted native vegetation in key locations across the NAR. Seed collection provides valuable industry experience and has facilitated the planting of over 100,000 seedlings during the year.   

In September 2021, the NACC NRM team delivered the WA Threatened Species Forum, held in tandem with the National Malleefowl Forum. Given the impact of COVID and the timing of this event, having more than 100 delegates from all over Australia was a significant achievement. The two Forums brought together 12 events over five days and featured 14 local artists, 25 businesses and 36 youth participants.

Following the successful relaunch of our updated NARvis, NACC NRM was invited to help lead a significant piece of strategic planning work for the region with Mid West Development Commission and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. With funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, the consortia delivered a Regional Drought Resilience Plan covering the shires of Northampton and Chapman Valley and the City of Greater Geraldton, along with significant technical analysis of drought vulnerability for the South West land division. The development of this plan also included extensive community consultation to ensure that local knowledge and technical advice guided the development of priorities for action.

This planning work links to existing NACC NRM on-ground projects, including Beyond Reasonable Drought and the Chapman Catchment Collaborative regeneration project.

It was a busy year for events with face-to-face events becoming commonplace again. During 2021-22 we hosted events in Gingin, Moora, Dalwallinu, Cervantes, Jurien Bay, Walkaway, Nabawa, Perenjori, Kalannie and Morawa. We supported events in Karakin, Thundellara, Perenjori, Paynes Find, Wubin, Cataby, Warradarge, Northampton, Yuna, Dalwallinu and Dandaragan.

We also supported on-ground works throughout the region, including at the following locations Yuna, Dalwallinu, Dandaragan, Merkanooka, Goodlands, Kalannie, Bunjil, Yardarino, Canna, Kondut, Latham, Kadathinni, Nabawa, Red Gully, Sandy Gully, Waddy Forrest, Devils Creek, Perenjori, Bowgada, Ellendale, Wandana, Namban, Hill River, Warradarge, Gillingarra, Regans Ford and Moonyanooka.

Our region is vast – slightly larger than Tasmania, which for comparison, is serviced by three separate NRM organisations. Covering the NAR region and its many environmental threats is challenging. We continue to focus on partnerships and collaboration to address this challenge. We know that by working with our community through passionate delivery of collaborative on-ground projects and education, the community will value and actively protect our region’s natural capital.

This year we have launched a new Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The RAP Working Group consulted widely and developed an Innovate RAP which Reconciliation Australia approved in March 2022. The activities to fulfil these commitments are now in full swing.

Sadly, at the end of 2021, we farewelled former NACC NRM CEO Shelley Spriggs, who lost a long battle with cancer. Shelley was an inaugural inductee to the NRM Leadership Honour Roll. I will always be grateful for her guidance and no-nonsense approach, not to mention her passion for life.

While we have said farewell to some, we have welcomed many new faces across all programs, including our Administration team. We have also hosted a school-based trainee from Nagle Catholic College who has been working towards a Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystem Management. This trial position has been very successful, and we look forward to making this opportunity available again in 2023.

During 2022 we have taken on new projects that align with our organisational and program objectives, and we have successfully completed some great initiatives that support continued conservation and sustainability outcomes. I want to thank the whole team who continue to go above and beyond for the organisation and each other proving their ongoing commitment to our purpose and our values.