Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation CEO Damian Morgan-Bulled says natural and cultural resources across the Goulburn Broken Catchment and along the Murray River corridor will benefit from the actions and activities detailed in the Yorta Yorta Whole of Country Action Plan 2012-17.
Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation CEO Damian Morgan-Bulled says natural and cultural resources across the Goulburn Broken Catchment and along the Murray River corridor will benefit from the actions and activities detailed in the Yorta Yorta Whole of Country Action Plan 2012-17.
Mr Morgan-Bulled said the Action Plan, developed by after extensive consultation with Elders, the community and agencies including Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (CMA), Parks Victoria and DEPI, recognised Yorta Yorta people’s long history in managing the region’s water and land.
“Recognising this timeless and unique knowledge Traditional Owners have of country is crucial to the ongoing protection and improvement of the region’s flora, fauna, land, water and cultural history,” he said. “This Action Plan details 12 platforms of action that clearly detail how this knowledge will be preserved and promoted, used in whole of Country policy development and decision-making, and to manage high value cultural and natural resources.”
Mr Morgan-Bulled said Traditional Owners intrinsically understood the interconnectedness of land, water and biodiversity.
“We have always had stewardship of Country and this Action Plan captures our views about how and what needs to be the focus of stewardship activity during the next five year,” Mr Morgan-Bulled said.
“As well as detailing how we will take an active and lead role in partnering with other land managers in protecting cultural and natural resources, the Action Plan highlights the importance of capturing the knowledge and traditional practices of Elders so it is not lost and investigating opportunities for economic independence and employment through natural resource management-linked industry sectors such as sustainable agriculture, carbon farming and tourism.”
Goulburn Broken CMA CEO Chris Norman said the CMA was already working collaboratively with Traditional Owners and looked forward to strengthening these relationships across the region.
“We work regularly with Traditional Owner crews supporting employment and training programs delivering on a range of projects such as weed and pest animal control at Barmah, seed collection, revegetation and cultural assessment, education and protection,” Mr Norman said. “We also employ an Indigenous NRM Co-ordinator and an Indigenous Facilitator and have a number of programs under way that build Traditional Owner participation in NRM.”
The Yorta Yorta Whole of Country Action Plan 2012-17 and a Memorandum of Understanding between the Goulburn Broken CMA and YYNAC were officially launched on June 18 at Mooroopna.
Development of the Yorta Yorta Whole of Country Action Plan 2012-17 was funded by the Australian Government.