Indigenous

Mountain bike events should be held on private property to avoid conflicting use with culturally-important Noongar sites and fragile biodiversity. So says University of WA professor of biodiversity Stephen Hopper, a view which traditional owner of Koorumdinup (Mt Hallowell), Menang man, Larry Blight shares.

Patricia Gill. Noongar man Larry Blight can feel the presence of spirits at culturally-significant sites and experiences a racing heart in those for ‘women’s business’ ... Larry was speaking at a Denmark Environment Centre-presented field trip at Koorumdinup on November 7 along with professor of biodiversity at the University of WA, Stephen Hopper.

Two years ago, bushfire ravaged Bungawalbin land. Property owner Jimmy Malecki had to flee his home known as  The Bog  on the day the fire tore through the tall trees. The film maker is documenting the recovery from the bushfire which includes regular visits from the Envite team. Envite coordinator Maree Thompson said they were working with Landcare groups and about 10 private landowners and working on seven National Park reserves.

Victorian Minister for Water Lisa Neville has released the Barre Warre Yulluk Action Plan, identifying seven directions and 30 actions to protect the region’s waterways ... Barre Warre Yulluk – the Rivers of Barwon – includes the whole network of creeks and rivers from the Barwon (Parwan), Moorabool (Murrabul), Yarrowee (Yarowee) and Leigh (Waywatcurtan) rivers and their tributaries.

More details have emerged about a proposed spaceport that would result in a billion-dollar industry in Cape York. Space Centre Australia visited Weipa and Napranum last week to meet with stakeholders and community members and discuss plans for the project, to be built near RAAF Base Scherger.

Mark Knowles. Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance chair Robbie Sands has written an open letter to PM Scott Morrison, calling on him to stop a bill that would require voters to show ID before casting their ballot as it would discriminate against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in remote communities by limiting their right to vote if they cannot produce ID ... Outspoken North Queensland MP Bob Katter said he was against the proposed changes.

The  Imparja  Cup will draw Aboriginal cricketers to Alice Springs to celebrate cricket, country and culture from 13-18 February 2022. The format of the 2022  tournament will be consistent with previous Imparja Cup events.

The whole landscape needs maintenance by mild fire. But academics and fire chiefs talk of asset protection zones, strategic zones and management zones with different fire regimes. They just don’t get it. Firebreaks don’t work in extreme weather. They can’t stop firestorms and long-distance ember showers. If you need to reduce accumulated fuel, you haven’t been maintaining the landscape properly.

An in-depth review of an excellent, timely and well-written book. Sold Down The River is really a text book on water trading for the uninitiated which sums up the tragedy of the Murray-Darling created by successive governments of all persuasions. Highly recommended.

A petition with more than 700 signatures was presented to Barkly Regional Council yesterday in a bid to improve animal welfare services in town camps. Local resident Peter Cain said the initiative came after citizens became concerned that the Animal Management Services were provided in town but not local Community Living Areas (CLA).

Greater Shepparton City Council is excited to announce the official virtual opening of the new Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) building on Friday 19 November at 7.00pm. The virtual opening will be available online for everyone to view and will feature some very special guests and presenters.

Kendall Jennings. Locals were blessed with a visit by the Australian Open singles trophies on Tuesday. The trophies, affectionally named ‘Daph and Norm’, were accompanied by Tennis Australia representatives celebrating 100 years of women’s tennis championships in 2022, and the Dungala Culture on Court tour, partnered by Anglicare Victoria.

A proposed silica mine that will give Traditional Owners a direct slice of the pie has Cooktown and Hope Vale residents excited about its prospects. Diatreme Resources has received a shot in the arm this month with former Treasurer and political heavyweight Wayne Swan agreeing to join Diatreme as chairman of the board.

Aurukun mayor Keri Tamwoy last week joined Kailung Hudson, Estelle Yunkaporta and Sheryl Pamulkan from the Akay Koo’oila Women’s Art Centre for the opening of the Mermaid ‘Zeloh’ exhibition as part of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. The women created the mermaid and woven bowls from a ghost net they retrieved from underneath the art centre.

‘There are so many stories to tell of my life, and sometimes I think they are not of importance, but they are, because often it is the little details that are the most important. I still remember every detail. [Like] Oodnadatta Country – I can still see it, in my mind’s eye, exactly as it was back in my time. The Country still calls me back to where I was born, a very exposed and stony land, but I still love it. That’s where my spirit is’: Kanakiya Myra Ah Chee.

The iconic Australasian Bittern is the focus of a summit in Leeton on 1-4 February 2022, designed to advance the conservation of this cryptic species ... “The Bittern holds a special place in Indigenous culture and Australian folklore, with its booming call thought to be behind the legend of the bunyip,” said Senior Local Land Services Officer and conference lead Anna Wilson.

The Victoria Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas visited the Belar Nursery and Bioculture Resources Centre to announce the Labor Government’s $2 million Djakitjuk Djanga Program in partnership with the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations ... The Djakitjuk Djanga Program has supported 13 Aboriginal native plant businesses to overcome key resource-related barriers towards the commercial production of native foods and botanicals.

Two new guides, 'Setting up for success: Bushfoods' and 'Protection of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge for Bushfood Businesses', highlight the risks and opportunities for Aboriginal businesses, as well as promoting best practices for industry.

The bulk of this commentary has little to do with the content of the Report to the NSW Natural Resources Commission. The report addresses the consequences of the 2019/20 fires for the objectives and outcomes of the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals (i.e. forest health, threatened species conservation, water quality and aquatic biodiversity). The 2019/20 fires have rendered forests, in relation to these objectives and outcomes, in a highly vulnerable state because of their magnitude and severity. This vulnerability will be ongoing and challenging to deal with because the efficacy of all facets of fire management (e.g. preparation, prevention, suppression) will be adversely affected by climate change.

New infrastructure at a Central Australian conservation reserve will help protect prehistoric Aboriginal rock engravings and enhance visitor safety to the site. The new viewing platform and boardwalk at Napwerte/Ewaninga south of Alice Springs, enables visitors to have an optimal view of the petroglyphs which date back around 30,000 years, while preventing inadvertent damage to the works by visitors.

A company's grand plans to launch rockets and satellites from Cape York will be revealed in Weipa this month. Space Centre Australia hopes to start construction of its facility in 2023 and be launching rockets by the start of 2025. Director James Palmer said preliminary discussions between SCA and Traditional Owners had been progressing well and hoped this month’s trip would result in further community consultation.