Natural Resources Alinytjara Wilurara Winter 2016 STRONG COUNTRY STRONG PEOPLE 02 Parliamentarians visit AW 04 New AW NRM Board members 07 Reconciliation in Ceduna 08 Jidirah meets Monaco’s Prince 10 Feral donkeys in the APY Lands 18 Integrating programs Palya, Strong Country, Strong People What’sFrom the happening Regional Director, Natural Resources Alinytjara Wilurara Welcome to the and seeing some of our great on-ground After a busy time packing and filing, the 2016 Winter edition works programs. NR AW team in Adelaide moved into a Palya, of where we As always, we’ve had a busy six months. new home at 81 Waymouth Street, along share stories from the with about 900 of our colleagues in the Alinytjara Wilurara In April the region hosted a visit by the Department of Environment, Water Natural Resources Natural Resources Committee of State and Natural Resources (DEWNR). The Management Board Parliament. The six state Members of building has a dedicated Reconciliation and DEWNR’s Natural Parliament and two staff toured the Room on Level 10, which can be booked Resources Alinytjara Wilurara (NR AW). southern part of AW region (see page 2-3). for meetings by Aboriginal groups at no Matt Ward is usually in the Regional We’ve continued our Healthy Country cost, so please contact us if you’d like to Director’s chair, but I’m filling his role Planning in partnership with communities take up this opportunity. for a few months while he’s taking on a and Co-management Boards. This local- We’ve also been busy delivering our on- different role in the department. I’ve been level planning approach will provide us ground works program, including Buffel with the NR AW team since February, and with a suite of Healthy Country Plans grass and feral camel management, have had a great time meeting people that have been developed with key land- installation of toilets at three key holding authorities and communities of visitor sites in our southern parks, and INVITATION the region. These plans will form a strong completion of a track rationalisation basis for our next Regional NRM Plan (due The Alinytjara Wilurara NRM project in the Nullarbor area to improve in 2020). Board invite you to join us on Facebook visitor safety and protect habitats. www.facebook.com/awnrm South Australia’s 13 Co-management Natural Resources Alinytjara Wilurara Boards and Advisory Committees and the AW NRM Board look forward AW weather stations (including Mamungari, Yumbarra and to continuing to support the region’s Check out data from the weather Nullarbor Parks and Tallaringa within the stations in the AW region on... communities to deliver the Regional AW region) came together in February http://aws.awnrm.sa.gov.au/ NRM Plan and the National Landcare for a state-wide co-management Programme in partnership with the South workshop held at Adelaide Zoo. The Next AW NRM Board meeting: Australian and Australian Governments. workshop allowed stories and learnings 22-24 August 2016, Pt Lincoln to be shared between the groups, and Palya, culminated in the release of the ‘Strong Ceduna Arts and Cultural Centre People, Strong Country’ booklet and Features genuine Aboriginal art Fiona Gill video (see DEWNR website for more 2 Eyre Highway, Ceduna A/Regional Director, information). Natural Resources Alinytjara Wilurara Where we are and what we do The Alinytjara Wilurara Natural Resources Management Region covers the northwest quarter of South Australia. In Pitjantjatjara, alinytjara means ‘north’ and wilurara means ‘west’. The Region spans more than a quarter of a million square kilometres, and has a population of approximately 2000 people, many of whom identify with the Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, Ngaanyatjarra, Kokatha, Mirning or Wirangu peoples. Natural Resources Management (NRM) is an approach to protecting land for the mutual benefit of people and the environment. The AW NRM Board is the only all Aboriginal NRM Board in Australia. Title page: DEWNR Project Officer Jamal LeBois collecting marine debris from Mexican’s Hat Beach with Youth Group members from Yalata. Photo by Amanda Richards Caring for our Country From the Presiding Member Welcome to the Winter edition of Palya 2016. With the new financial year I am pleased to welcome two new members Members of SA’s Natural Resources Committee join AW NRM Board Presiding member Parry Agius at Head of Bight to our Board. They are both outstanding 02 Members of Parliament visit AW 10 Feral donkeys in the APY Lands individuals whose skills, knowledge Natural Resources Committee learn New market option opening up and experience will undoubtedly about AW’s past, present and potential prove invaluable in delivery of the 04 New AW NRM Members AW NRM Board’s objectives. Board welcomes new members and I also extend my sincere thanks farewells some long time greats 11 Inside the Wombats Warren to our retiring members whose With a little help from ground- contributions to the Board and the penetrating radar people of our region have been many (see page 4 of this edition). 12 Buffel FREE GDV Working Having attended the Council of 05 Songlines: theme for NAIDOC week together to NRM Presiding Members forum save the Great in May, I was pleased by the level Celebrating the history, Victoria Desert of discussion around developing culture, and 14 Buffel grass monitoring on Track mechanisms to bring state and achievements of national initiatives to the collective Aboriginal and Cleaning up on roads and rail attention of the regions. Torres Strait Islander people 15 Researching edible insects Engagement and communications 06 Creating a Modern Outback TO’s know across all levels was the central more than theme of the forum. From people Bringing policy in line with the unique is recorded who live in communities to Federal needs of Outback land and people Government Ministers and all parties 07 Reconciliation in Ceduna 15 First Aboriginal Regional Authorities in between. Celebrating with local communities 16 Yumbarra “Ramble” Survey Developing strategic alliances and strong partnerships has always Assessing remote played a major role in the ongoing sites before success of natural resource prescribed burning management in the Alinytjara Wilurara region. The Board remains 08 Jidirah meets Monaco’s Prince committed to building on and 17 Business in the Bush supporting its extensive network Marine debris Park infrastructure and maintenance to achieve the best results for our whale makes an unique region and for the people international splash 18 Efficiency in Integrating programs who live there. Marine Debris Arts Program, School- based Trainee and Beach Clean-ups Parry Agius Presiding Member Alinytjara Wilurara Natural Resources Management Board SA Members of Parliament learn about AW’s Past, Present and Potential In early April 2016, six members of the NRC members embraced the opportunity Above: L-R: Yasmin Wolf (A/Manager, Co-management Natural Resources Committee (NRC) of to learn about the people, their culture and Public Lands), Patrick Dupont (Executive Officer - Natural Resources Committee), Steph Key MP (NRC Parliament (with two staff) headed into and their land, talking informally with Presiding Member), Michelle Naylon and Wayne the Far West Coast’s remote desert community members and the DEWNR Haseldine (both from the West Mallee Protection country to visit some of Alinytjara staff who work beside them. Group), Wanda Miller (Yumbarra Co-management Board), Mr Peter Treloar MP, Fiona Gill (NR AW Wilurara’s (AW) most enigmatic The group first visited Oak Valley Regional Director), Hon John Dawkins MLC, Robbie landmarks. From the Maralinga Village, Community (approx. 500 kms north Sleep (NR AW/EP Senior Ranger), Hon Gerry which remains virtually unchanged west of Ceduna) where they were met Kandelaars MLC, Mrs Annabel Digance MP, Tammy since the 1950s, to the spectacular by Roger Peterson, the community Cox (NR EP Ranger), Parry Agius (AW NRM Board Presiding Member), Ms Barbara Coddington (NRC Googs Lake, past desert blowholes Men’s Activity Supervisor. After Bruce Research Officer), Tim Moore (Manager, Strategy, and across to the Head of Bight Whale Macpherson discussed NR AW’s Knowledge and Sustainablity) and Mr Jon Gee MP. Centre, the group learned first-hand about the past, present and potential of the southern AW region. The NRC delegation was accompanied by Parry Agius, Presiding Member of the AW Natural Resources Management (NRM) Board and DEWNR staff. At each location visited, local Traditional Owners joined the group and discussed their views on ways that community- based NRM might achieve positive social and economic outcomes for their people as well as the environment. L-R: Parry Agius (AW NRM Presiding Member) with Robin Matthews (Maralinga Village caretaker), Ms Annabel Digance MP, John Dawkins MLC, Mr Jon Gee MP, Gerry Kandelaars MLC, Ms Steph Key MP, Bruce Macpherson (NR AW) and Mr Peter Treloar MP 02 Natural Resources Alinytjara Wilurara People: finding better ways Community Engagement and Training working together is achieving Healthy Strategy for SA’s Far West Coast with Country outcomes. the group at the Community Hall, Roger The following day the group visited the showed them the infrastructure that remote Aboriginal community of Yalata supports the community’s water supply. where they were met by the CEO Desley From Oak Valley the group flew to Culpin and AW NRM Board Member Maralinga Village (approx. 380 kms Mima Smart. Community members later from Ceduna) where caretaker Robin joined the discussions for morning tea. Matthews, escorted them on a tour Next stop was the Head of Bight of the Maralinga 1950’s atomic bomb Whale Centre where they met Dirk test sites and Maralinga Village. The Holman (Far West Coast Marine Parks group were able to see first hand the Coordinator) who talked about the potential of the now deserted village as region’s Marine Parks.