Mandingalbay Yidinji People Wait-a-While Newsletter | Edition 11 December 2018 From strength to strength INSIDE... Tribal Warrior SPECIAL FEATURE: New signs for training not all at Thinking Beyond GMYPBC sea...p 6 Borders...pages 13-19 ...p 22 A word from ED Dale Mundraby Welcome to our 2018 - one of our biggest years ever – Wait-a-While newsletter which I hope reflects on just some of the many things that have happened over the year, big and small, significant and seemingly less significant – although that’s never really the case, Executive Director (ED) Dale Mundraby writes... Our aspirations over many You will read about our new areas of expertise, from years, supported by our hard growing involvement and quarantine to coxswains. work and commitment, are engagement with the Yarrabah Everything we have done, coming to fruition at last. Council and community on even long before this great In the newsletter you several different levels from year, has been for a purpose will read about our first the GMYPPBC Master Plan of achieving our objectives Indigenous Protected Areas and signage project, the Social which are about improving and Economic Development Reinvestment Project, and the well-being of our People, Conference ‘Thinking Beyond even their school careers day Country and protection of Borders’ held in June this – we’re happy to contribute cultural natural values. year where we successfully and support these important And we are doing that by brought together many of community projects. developing and participating our stakeholders, supporters This year our organisation in the regional economy, and interested parties into has grown and developed creating a sustainable future one room to talk about how considerably, not only through hard work. we are doing things, and in terms of partnerships, It is through nothing less why. but also in terms of than hard work that we have You will read about how we developing the people in the achieved what we have and have our Deadly Dinners, organisation – our People. that’s through partnership, an event at the high end of There has been training collaboration, disrupting the our tourism product, which and forums, some of which welfare cycle and just people we now have down to a fine have led to an expansion of getting to work and doing art. our roles as rangers across business on our Country. Dewayne Mundraby, David Hudson & Dale Mundraby at the Thinking Beyond Borders conference in June this year. 2 Our development journey to date... 2006 Mandingalbay Yidinji Aboriginal 2017 In September Corporation (MYAC) was established following our last year MYAC Native Title Determination submitted a 2009 Launched the MY Strategic Plan to guide us preliminary in shifting MY aspirations into action. Development 2010-2011 MY land and waters were dedicated Application (DA) to Cairns Regional into our own Indigenous Protected Area • Number 50 in Australia Council (CRC) to • First of its kind to be over multiple tenure build a nature-based where no traditional owner tenure existed. tourism development • Tenures include National Park, State in the East Trinity Forest, fish habitat, wet lands, agricultural Reserve – called the areas – cane, banana farms, water all the Mandingalbay Yidinji way to the fourth LED in Trinity Inlet. Eco Cultural Tourism • Enabled us Infrastructure Project to develop (MYECTIP) which will feature observation towers and establish connected by boardwalks, zip lines, ropes course partnerships and “glamping” style accommodation. On 10 October 2018 CRC approved our Djunbunji Ltd was 2011 MYECTIP DA. Every step of the MYECTIP established as MYAC’s development will go through an assessment agent company to process for CRC approval before works can be manage and deliver our carried out. Working on Country Funding applications have been Program which directly October 2018 supports land, People and submitted for early work infrastructure including: culture. o Floating Pontoon Jetty o Board walk Completed the 2015 MY Property Management o Turn around area to identify the eco-infrastructure we Plan (PMP) o Signage to welcome visitors in various languages need on MY country to carry out commercial, cultural o One high end facility and environmental activities and experiences. • The PMP was granted in accordance with Looking ahead we are currently developing an Section 34 under the Nature Conservation Act MY Indigenous Employment Strategy to cover which provides for use and access to existing training, employment and the development of infrastructure. As a result the ranger program micro business for our People in the construction and commercial activities are delivered and and operation phases of MYECTIP. housed at Grey Peaks National Park. At this stage we are looking for support from: o Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet • Our Commercial Activity Agreement is an enabler that facilitates the delivery of our o State Government – DATSIP products which include our three hour cultural o Indigenous Land Corporation and environmental experiences, overnight Going forward we are currently working with camping and our Deadly Dinners – under the a cross-section of government, industry and banner of MY Eco Indigenous Tours FTI Consulting to developing the MYECTIP (see http://www.mandingalbay.com.au). Prospectus. We trust you will enjoy this Corporation Board of Enjoy your break, if you have issue of Wait-a-While, it has Directors; MY Rangers and one, and we can all be ready been a great year and we’re Volunteers; and Helen Tait. for the many bigger and thankful for what and who we And finally, I’d like to better things 2019 might have. bring us. I’d like to take this wish everyone a safe opportunity to acknowledge: and Merry Christmas Mandingalbay Yidinji Community; MY Aboriginal and a Happy New Year. Dale Mundraby 3 Fisheries training means fair go for all This year Rangers Vincent Mundraby and Victor Bulmer have gained their Cert IVs in Fisheries Compliance after successfully completing their two blocks of study requirements. Mr Bulmer said it was assist under the EPBC Act,” transparent and fair – it’s about addressing illegal he said. about protecting our activity in the Great “So when we see people Country, but it’s also about Barrier Reef’s Green Zone fishing in the Green protecting the people under the Environmental Zone we call the relevant who are going to use that Protection and Biodiversity agencies. Country and making sure Conservation Act. “So it’s about knowing they know what the rules “At this point we can only the rules, how to be are. MY Rangers upskilling in Burketown The second Australian Biosecurity Indigenous Ranger Forum was hosted by the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation in Burketown, on Gangalidda Garawa country, in September this year. Rangers Maynard Bulmer of bio-security, pests, included slack handling, and Randolph Lefoe, along weeds, identifying foreign chemical handling, and with Rangers Laurissa, substances, working in even utilising vessels, Jason, Vinnie, Alfred jnr partnership to look country aeroplanes and helicopters and Jason Mundraby were for future generations to assist with patrolling the lucky ones, taking along the coastlines and and surveillance, and the opportunity to attend waterways. monitoring for hazardous workshops in the areas Training options also substances. PICTURED: MY & Gunggandji Rangers on the salt pans in Burketown and the Mornington Island Dancers. 4 Ranger exchange provides long list of benefits Ranger exchanges form an important part of training, learning and swapping ideas for how to deal with the many impacts all manner of activities have on Country and, because of its location, Djunbunji rangers play an active role in the many visits from groups across the nation. Most recently rangers from Yuku Strategy,” Ranger Laurissa Baja Muliku (Archer Point, near Mundraby said. Cooktown) and Aptuma (on the “There was staff on board as far north eastern side of Cape well, from Biosecurities and York) were given a tour of how quarantine. Djunbunji deals with quarantine “These are really good and biosecurity issues. opportunities for us, we get to “It’s called ‘fundamental training’ showcase the work we do as and was organised under the well as exchange information on Northern Quarantine Australia issues we face.” 5 Setting sail for a future at sea Gunggandji Ranger Coordinator Brian Murgha invited our Djunbunji Rangers to participate in the Deck Hand Course conducted by the Tribal Warrior and the NSW TAFE at the Rum Jungle Shipyard at Lee Yan Road East Trinity in October MY Ranger William Mundraby writes… After two intensive weeks and supplied life jackets vessel in the Trinity Inlet, of training involving they knew how to use which included pulling everything from deploying properly, how to operate up to the dock safely, a life raft to tying up a fire fighting equipment securing the vessel the vessel, all our participants properly and effectively, correct way so that if, were then presented with where to assemble in case for example, two vessels Certificates over at the of a fire on board the are docked on the same Yarrabah Community at a vessel, and how to shut-off mooring, each vessel can graduation ceremony in fuel supply to the vessel get off without their ropes front of family and friends, etc. getting tangled. followed by a kup murrie, We also learned how to There was also a lot of which was enjoyed by all. deploy an eight-man life paper work we had to do to Earlier this year Djunbunji raft and did our safety complete with our training. hosted a camp for the Palm courses at the Yarrabah A big thank you to our Island crew who sailed from Swimming Pool where teachers, Captain Kippa there to Yarrabah as part of everyone involved enjoyed Zechariah, Allan and Chris their training. being in the water, even for his words of wisdom.