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.
Walbunja rangers and DPIRD - Fisheries' science team (Dr Matt Taylor & Mitch Turner) working together - contemporary scientific methods partnered with indigenous knowledge systems.
This project is part of the Clyde (Bhundoo) Cultural Restoration Strategy. Skills learnt included sampling methodology, quadrant and GPS mapping...
in addition to calliper measurements, use of scalpels & weighing equipment,
...the safe use of formalin, correct data collection and packaging.
Rangers will be out every month providing vital data to DPIRD - Fisheries' statewide cockle research project...
...along with critical information about a Yuin key sea country food source (Bimbilla) and the importance of marine protected areas in comparing fisheries resources in fished and unfished areas.
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.
Get in touch with the NEAP Action 1 team:
- Ian Kerr (ian.kerr@dpi.nsw.gov.au or 0448 409 291)
- Kelly Gittins (kelly.gittins@dpi.nsw.gov.au or 0456 631 668)
- NEAP Program Lead Kylie Russell (kylie.russell@dpi.nsw.gov.au or 0417 498 623).