Project Leader: Michael Storrs, Northern Land Council (NLC), Darwin, Northern Territory

Project 4.3.3

Summary | Outputs | Looking after country | Contributing researchers | Progress Results | Future directions | More information |

Summary

The Caring for Country Unit of the Northern Land Council has been working with landowners of the Arafura Swamp and surrounds to develop capacity, through training and resourcing, for land management in the area. Traditional management techniques do not necessarily address weeds (particularly the weed mimosa) and feral animals. As much of the swamp is taken up by the Murwangi Aboriginal Corporation cattle enterprise, the management plan developed by the project must integrate conservation with enterprise objectives.

The project was part of a larger movement toward the development of a loosely formalised Aboriginal land management structure across the Top End using community-based programs. Aboriginal land-management programs, some nascent and some relatively advanced, are now dotted across the Top End.

However, despite the progress made, major gaps still exist. This project fed into the development of improved techniques to assist Aboriginal communities build their capacity in land management to deal with new and emerging threats to the environment and to institute a regime of integrated conservation and development. It assisted the community to develop a formal community-based land-management program, the Wanga Djakamirr Rangers. Wanga Djakamirr means 'looking after the land'.

Outputs

The project also contributed to the Information Clearinghouse, the Graduate Diploma and Master of Tropical Environmental Management and modules of the extension project. These will be coordinated under the Human Capbility Theme.

Research findings also contributed to the North Australia Landscape and Landscape Processes themes. This will allow us to produce integrated research findings into the an overview of savanna health.

Looking after country

Several small Aboriginal land-management programs based on clan estates (Donydji, Mirrngadja and Dhupuwamirri) in the south-east part of the Swamp and catchment have existed for some years. Several more are being developed (Ngilipitji, Wurrungguyana). These projects receive very high community acceptance.

To complement these existing programs, in 1998 this project assisted the development of the Wanga Djakamirr Ranger Program based out of Ramingining to deal with areas iIn the north, north-west and north-east of the Swamp.The program employs a coordinator and a number of rangers based on Community Development and Employment Program. Medium-term funding for the coordinator and equipment was accessed from the Natural Heritage Trust and the Indigenous Land Corporation.

The project initiated a process of assessing the current health status of country estate by estate. This involved traditional owners and managers. The results were assembled in a database and stored on the Ranger Program's GIS.

Rangers received formal certificate training in land management from FATSIS at Northern Territory University and other informal training was facilitated.

In November 1999 the Wanga Djakamirr Rangers took part in a trip to overview new and emerging land-management issues in the region. They were shown rehabilitation processes under way at Narbalek Uranium mine by staff of ERA and ERISS. In Kakadu National Park they met with members of the Board of Management and staff from the Natural Resource Management Section. On the Wildman Reserve they were shown gamba grass (Andropogon gayanus) infestations by PWCNT staff and were shown the large mimosa (Mimosa pigra) infestation on the Adelaide River and other major environmental weeds in Darwin creeks by NTDPIF and CFCU staff.

Contributing research

TS-CRC Honours student, Renee Bartolo, undertook a remote sensing and GIS project to map the geomorphology of the Arafura Swamp. Ms Bartolo worked in close collaboration with the Wanga Djakamirr Rangers during ground-truthing exercises. TS-CRC PhD student, Ms Anthea Dee, is undertaking studies focusing on the demographics of the feral pig population of the Swamp, assisted to a large extent by the Wanga Djakamirr Rangers and the CFCU.

PWCNT flora and fauna surveys (NHT-funded) 1998-2000 of the Swamp were assisted by the ranger programs from the north and south-east of the Swamp. The TS-CRC grant partially funded satellite imagery for the PWCNT project, which is to be shared by a number of agencies.

In December 1999 and January 2000 two Aboriginal researchers, Ms Donna Jackson and Ms Lorraine Williams, undertook an ethnobiological study of the northern Arafura Swamp and surrounds. Information recorded included the names (in several languages) and uses of up to 100 animals and 80 plants. The focus was on floodplain species, however some common woodland species were also recorded. A draft report, Arafura Ethnobiology: Traditional Aboriginal Flora & Fauna Knowledge from Ramingining-Arnhem Land NT, was received and is currently with traditional owner collaborators for ratification.

A video was produced to raise awareness of the weed mimosa in Aboriginal communities in northern Australia.

Progress Results

• On-ground work primarily to do with weeds, feral animals, fire and erosion was undertaken according to landowner' priorities and the extent of community resources.
• The Wanga Djakamirr program complements longer established community-based land-management programs in the south-east part of the Arafura Swamp and its catchment.
• Recent changes in the governance of Murwangi pastoral enterprise resulted in traditional landowners taking a more active interest in the management of the western Arafura Swamp which could result in a community-based land management program in that area.
• As yet there has been no push toward a catchment-based approach for the region. Rather the emphasis is placed on developing the land-management capacity of the different landowner groups.
• The Wanga Djakamirr Rangers continued their involvement in the NHT-funded PWCNT flora and fauna surveys.
• Wanga Djakamirr Rangers and Rangers from the south-east of the Swamp participated in the annual Top End Indigenous Rangers Conference, this year hosted by the Yugal Mangi Landcare Group, out of Ngukurr in August 2000.
• A participatory planning course was conducted for a group of 12 Top End Aboriginal land-management facilitators early in 2001. Apart from its usefulness as practical training, the course resulted in the development of a support network for the expanding network of land-management facilitators.
• Wanga Djakamirr Rangers undertook a field trip in May 2001 to meet other Aboriginal community-based land managers and to view the issues they are dealing with in situ.
• A new coordinator for the Wanga Djakamirr Ranger Program was recruited through the Ramingining Homelands Resource Centre.

Future Directions

Sustainable, effective management of the Arafura Swamp and surrounds is dependent on the capacity of Aboriginal landowners and community agencies to deliver that management. With the development of the community's capacity to deal with contemporary land-management issues, biological diversity and the productive capability of the Arafura Swamp and surrounds should be sustainable in the long term. CFCU will continue to further a catchment-based approach to management over time. The project fits into the CFCU-assisted development of a network of Aboriginal community-based land management programs.

Through involvement in such programs and through participation in the annual Indigenous Rangers Conference and other initiatives Aboriginal people are driving the development of this loosely formalised land-management structure that is rapidly expanding across the Top End.

Project Team

Mr Michael Storrs NLC CFCU
Mr Peter Cooke NLC CFCU
Mr Wayne Barbour, Land Management Coordinator, Ramingining Outstation Resource Centre
Jardie Ashley, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
Sonya Gumbuykumbuy, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
Philip Gutmaygutmay, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
Mervin Mace, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
Danny Smith, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
Robert Yawaringu, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
Peter Gonnyanyuk, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
Larry Yawulkpuy, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
Allen Mace, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
John Nudumul, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
Dick Fisher, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
Henry Djalba, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
Kevin Yawulkpuy, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger
Azzarr Baker, Wanga Djakamirr Ranger

Collaborating researchers

Professor Marcia Langton CINCRM
Professor John Chappell ANU
Dr John Woinarski PWCNT
Mr Dave Calland FATSIS
Ms Donna Jackson NLC CFCU
Ms Ursula Zaar DLPE