Ranger Funding success
Badgebup Aboriginal Corporation awarded $616,000 in State Government funding
The Badgebup Aboriginal Corporation (BAC) are still celebrating after being awarded $616,000 in round three of the McGowan Government's Aboriginal Ranger Program, after years of hard work laying the foundation to build sustainable Aboriginal land-based enterprises in the Central Great Southern Region.
From objectives…
From The BAC business plan was jointly funded by the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation and Great Southern Development Commission in 2016. The community engagement process formed a model to alleviate the socio-economic disadvantage in the region.
To deliverables.
The strategic vision determined the avenue to economic success was in establishing land-based enterprises and cultural heritage programs to generate a sustainable income for the corporation and with subsequent grants and support from Equity Trustees, Southwest Catchment Council, Lotterywest and Prime Minister & Cabinet, the corporation set up their first land-based enterprise, the Ngoolark Rangers, in 2018.
"We have spent the past five years developing both our capability and capacity as an Aboriginal Corporation with a focus on the delivery of positive outcomes and we're delighted this has been recognised by the State Government today.
Everything we do, across all of our enterprises is focused on the new 'closing the gap' targets which are directly linked to our on-country training and employment programs. We job share with other ranger groups from Gnowangerup and Tambellup to successfully deliver large biodiversity projects across the region. Collaboration strengthens our Aboriginal partnerships and if we can sustain these practices over the next few years, we will start to see the social return on this investment in a short period of time.
Going from strength
The Ngoolark Rangers, a casual workforce, were engaged by Greening Australia, under a fee-for-service contract, to plant native trees in and around the Great Southern, as part of their 20 Million Tree Program. Since then, the Rangers have planted nearly 800,000 seedlings to restore degraded land and rehabilitate natural habitats in the southwest and midwest regions of WA.
The Aboriginal Ranger Program funding will be used to focus directly on enhancing the natural assets of the significant sites associated with the Noongar dreamtime story of Mulka, the giant man, including Piesse Lake, Police Pools and Lake Ewlyamartup, in consultation with the Shire of Katanning.
… to strength.
The Place Name Project, was bought to Katanning by the Community Arts Network in consultation with the Katanning Noongar Leadership Group and took 18 months to complete. The dreamtime story emerged from local Elder's recollections during the project and the story bought to life through puppetry with world renowned puppeteer Karen Hethey working with students from Katanning Senior High School and Primary School. The launch was cancelled because of Covid-19 lockdowns in March 2020.
The BAC will also consult with the Katanning and Kent Shires to look at a combination of enhancement options for the Badgebup and Kwobrup Reserves including trails, habitat enhancement, revegetation, and bushfire mitigation. The Badgebup and Kwobrup Reserves has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area because it supports up to 20 breeding pairs of the endangered Carnaby cockatoo.
"We're all about sustainable practices and positive social and economic outcomes and with a growing number of commercial partners including Lotterywest, National Indigenous Australians Agency, Mindaroo Foundation, Kingkira Group, Greening Australia and Woodside we are keen to explore new and innovative ways of doing business here in the Great Southern region"
For further information please contact.
Spoke person: Julie Hayden. Business Manager: julie.hayden@badgebup.org.au / 0427 992 910
Media contact: Giles Dufield: giles@Badgebup.org.au / 0402 560269
