Aboriginal coastal heritage assets

Aboriginal cultural heritage assets have been impacted by the floods. This can include physical damage such as coastal middens and burial sites being exposed by erosion and built assets such as boardwalks for cultural education being damaged. Flood impacts to other environmental assets can also have significant intrinsic cultural impacts on the Aboriginal community and their connection to these places and features, such as the impact of flooding on critical Sea Country food species.

The NSW Estuaries Asset Program (NEAP) Aboriginal Cultural Assets is based on the following outcomes:

• Research into & development of Aboriginal caring for Country
• Developing an Indigenous led cultural landscape restoration strategy
• Supporting Indigenous people to engage in cultural stewardship practices to build the resilience of people and Country
• Embedding Indigenous voices and representation in governance
• Build reliance to people & Country.

Management themes

The NEAP Program is working closely with Aboriginal organisations in flood impacted estuaries to develop up to 16 local Indigenous led cultural landscape restoration strategies with key management themes including:

• Aboriginal sites restoration
• Managing cultural resources
• Keeping language and culture strong
• Managing biodiversity
• Improving water quality and reducing litter
• Research and monitoring
• Communication, education and interpretation
• Governance
• Training and capacity building
• Economic opportunities.

Activities identified in the cultural landscape restoration strategies will be implemented by local Aboriginal Ranger teams directly employed through the NEAP Program. This will ensure local priorities for flood recovery are delivered strategically and local Aboriginal communities lead and benefit from the Program, ensuring increased cultural resilience to future floods and natural disasters.

Find out more about the Cultural Restoration Strategies.