(Photo: Peter Verbakel)
November 14, 2012
The Bunya Mountains Murri Ranger and Elders Council – supported by the Burnett Mary Regional Group – has been praised by the State Government for its success at the recent National Landcare awards.
The group was presented with the Leighton Holdings Indigenous Award on September 4.
Natural Resources Minister Andrew Cripps said today the award – and others won by SEQ Catchments, the Condamine Alliance and The Northern Gulf Resource Management Group – highlighted the work done by Queensland’s regional Natural Resource Management groups to protect and preserve natural resources.
“Queensland’s NRM groups are doing great work to get the best outcomes for the State’s land, water and other natural resources by restoring and protecting rangelands, waterways, wetlands and wildlife habitats,” Mr Cripps said.
“These are significant achievements and I congratulate all involved in these worthwhile programs.
“The Newman Government will invest a total of $11 million through the Queensland Regional NRM Investment Program this financial year ensuring these bodies can continue their valuable work.
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From their Award nomination:
The Bunya Mountains Murri Ranger and Elders Council project has led to a revival of Indigenous presence and influence on the natural and cultural landscape of the Bunya Mountains, after an absence of more than 100 years.
The two initiatives came about as a result of traditional owners voicing their concerns about the rapid decline of the grasslands in the Bunya Mountains and other issues to NRM regional bodies in early 2008.
These concerns led to the organisation of three stakeholder forums to discuss the relationship between fire, the landscape and traditional burning practices in the Bunya Mountains. A primary aspiration emerging from the forums was to engage traditional owners back on country.
As a result of the forums, the Bunya Partnership Coordination Group (BPCG) was formed, with members drawn from a wide range of stakeholders, including the Australian, Queensland and local governments, NRM bodies, traditional owners, and the business and research sectors.
In late 2008, the BPCG secured funding from the Australian Government, which led to two outcomes: one, the establishment of the Bunya Mountains Elders Council, comprising representatives of both traditional owner and visiting traditional owner groups, to provide Aboriginal leadership and direction over the management of the region’s natural and cultural resources; and, two, the development of the “Bonye Bu’ru Booburrgan Ngmmunge, Bunya Mountains Aboriginal Aspirations and Caring for Country Plan”.
The BPCG delegated management of these initiatives to the Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG).
In March 2009, the BPCG coordinated a series of meetings between Western Downs Regional Council and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to discuss establishing an Indigenous Ranger program. The program was to be run on two adjoining parcels of land, Russell Park and the Bunya Mountains National Park.
With funding from the Australian Government’s Working on Country Program, the Bunya Mountains Murri Ranger program was born.
The BMRG plans to hand over the management of the Ranger program to the Elders Council once it has developed capacity.
The Bunya Mountains Murri Rangers have worked on a number of significant projects, including the burning of the Westcott Balds in the Bunya Mountains National Park. This was the first time in more than 120 years that traditional owners had conducted a burn in the region.
The Rangers have also implemented the actions identified in the Russell Park Eco Plan and are involved in the development and delivery of the Kids on Country Schools Curriculum Development Program in local schools.
