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Reconnecting to Country
Community Projects
Congratulations are in order for members of your local community! Working groups from four locations in the Wilsons River catchment area have been working together since November 2008 to develop ideas for their Reconnecting to Country projects, and have recently submitted detailed designs to the Reconnecting to Country Steering Committee. We are pleased to announce that all four groups have been successful in securing grants of between $31,000 and $45,000 to implement their projects on–the–ground. If you would like to get involved in helping these projects become a reality, please email Emily on emilyc@sustainablefutures.com.au and she will put you in contact with your local group.
Bangalow Billabong
The aim of the project is to turn the dry riverbed adjacent to Bangalow Pool into a natural wetland. Stormwater entering the wetland will be naturally filtered of nutrients, as will water overflowing from the weir, resulting in improved biodiversity and downstream water quality. Low–level boardwalks through the wetland with interpretative signage will encourage passive recreational use of the wetland and provide opportunities for relaxation, education and bird watching.
Slaters Creek Revegetation (North Lismore)
The aim of the project is to revegetate a section of Slaters Creek, a small urban tributary of the Wilsons River in North Lismore. The project will see the creation of a wetland and a bush–tucker garden; provide passive recreation opportunities for the public through a walking/cycle track and interpretative signage; create employment for Aboriginal contractors; share the cultural history of the area and involve the community in events at the site.
Coopers Creek Sub–Catchment
This project aims to inform the public about the cultural and ecological significance of the area. This will be facilitated by encouraging access and recreational use of sites within the sub–catchment including Dorrobee Grass and Rosebank Recreation Reserve and through the production and distribution of a publication created by the community.
Wilsons Creek Project
This project aims to provide a focal point in the centre of Wilsons Creek where the local community, including kids, parents and teachers from the primary school can connect to country through being involved in bush regeneration activities and cross–cultural relationship building along the creek bank. Bush–tucker plantings and interpretive signage at the primary school are also part of the project and an Aboriginal bush regeneration team will be employed.
If would like to find out more about the Reconnecting to Country project as a whole, just read on or use any of the following links to skip to the relevant information:
Introduction
Vision and Objectives
Community Involvement
Would you like to get involved?
Upcoming Events
Introduction
Reconnecting to Country is a cutting–edge catchment management project, for which Rous Water has received funding from The NSW Environmental Trust. The project will take place over three years and will focus on working with local communities in the Wilsons River catchment area to develop environmental improvement projects in association with Widjabul traditional custodians.
Land and water restoration projects will be focused in several geographical locations throughout the Wilsons River catchment so that local communities can focus on places that are significant to them.
Reconnecting to Country is a ’partnership project’ with local partners being Rous Water, the Widjabul traditional custodians and Sustainable Futures Australia. A ’sister’ project at The Gully in Katoomba brings project partners Blue Mountains City Council and The Gully Traditional Owners to share skills and experience in a similar project which is running in parallel.
Vision and Objectives
Our vision for Reconnecting to Country is:
- To cultivate a new culture of sustainable catchment management through community engagement in on–the–ground action and cultural exchange with Aboriginal custodians.
Our objectives are to:
- Improve catchment health
- Build a culture of sustainability
- Develop creative partnerships
- Build capacity to employ Aboriginal people in sustainability education and action
- Cultivate ’sense of place’ and reconciliation through action and culture.
Community Involvement
The success of this project depends upon the extent that our local community gets involved. This Reconnecting to Country project provides an exciting opportunity for many different people and organisations in the Wilsons River to collaborate on practical projects which restore the catchment and promote reconciliation.
So far, different groups who have been involved in the project include:
- Local community members and riparian landholders
- Local Landcare groups
- Wilsons River Catchment Working Group
- Environmental and interpretive/educational professionals
- Rous Water staff, executives and Councillors
- Widjabul and other Aboriginal people in the Wilsons River catchment
Read on to find out how people have been involved over the history of the project.
Detailed Design Process
Between April and June 2009, the four Reconnecting to Country local working groups hosted a series of community workshops. The local working groups were formed following a series of community workshops in November 2008, where participants identified the natural and cultural values of areas in the Wilsons River catchment. The local working groups met regularly to develop their project plans. At these workshops, these local community projects sought support from other community members and the Reconnecting to Country Steering Committee (made up of project partners Rous Water, Sustainable Futures Australia and Widjabul custodians) for their project proposals. Specifically, the groups presented their plans for the project, invited community feedback on the plans and invited people to form a project team of local residents who are interested in getting involved in the project on the ground. Each group potentially had access to $45,000 funding from the NSW Environmental Trust.
Following feedback from the local community and the Reconnecting to Country Steering Committee between June and September 2009, the local working groups then worked on the Detailed Design phase where detailed site–specific plans for the environmental and cultural regeneration projects in the Wilsons River catchment were developed. These detailed designs were then presented to the Steering Committee in early December 2009, and are available for viewing upon request. All detailed designs have been successful and can begin on–the–ground implementation early in 2010.
Issues considered during the detailed design phase involved a wide range of tasks and included:
- Assisting with administration of the project including management of financial and insurance issues and coordination of contractors and volunteers.
- Liaison with local government and other organisations to obtain the necessary approvals.
- Connecting with other community groups about increasing public access to natural places for local people.
- Private landholder & neighbour liaison (enthusing, involving, addressing concerns, writing letter of agreement).
- Drawing up detailed plans and writing up associated descriptions for the project.
- Organising materials (determining quantities of materials required, researching costs, etc).
- Initial design of educational/interpretive materials (eg., signage, booklets, fliers)
- Participating in the cross–cultural experience and liaison process.
Many members of the local community were involved in this phase of the project and should be congratulated on their work!
“Congratulations on your project’s approval! Thankyou for the work you have done over the past months to prepare for the ’on–the–ground’ phase of the project in 2010. Your plans, designs, negotiations, applications and intentions have cleared the way for effective and innovative projects that will care for the catchment, our community and culture. Thankyou for ’holding the vision’ of your local project and the larger vision of Reconnecting to Country.” (E Bragg, RtC Steering Committee, 17 Dec 2009)
Would you like to get involved?
If you would like to participate in Reconnecting to Country, please download this sign–up sheet (.PDF 1.1Mb), fill out the details and fax or mail it to Sustainable Futures Australia.
Project History and Upcoming Events
The timeline for Reconnecting to Country is:
- November 2008 – Series of Community Workshops in different Wilsons River sub–catchments. These workshops introduced the project, the Widjabul custodians and ways of working together; workshopped the natural and cultural values held by the local community in the area; identified sustainability issues important to that community; brainstormed ideas for local projects (including projects already underway); and formed local ’working groups’ of local residents to further develop project ideas.
- December 2008 to April 2009 – Local Working Group Meetings in each sub–catchment developed project ideas, and got creative and practical together.
- April to June 2009 – Second series of Community Workshops for the Working Group which announced and presented ideas for local projects; presented other sub–catchment project ideas; and formed a ’detailed design teams’ of local residents interested in implementing the project ’on–the ground’.
- June to December 2009 – Detailed design teams completed concept designs and project plans for on–the–ground projects; sought approvals from necessary authorities; engaged specialist environmental consultants to assist with projects; participated in cross–cultural training.
- December 2009 to January 2011 – On–the–ground environmental restoration and cultural education by local community project teams, environmental consultants and Widjabul custodians.
- March 2011 – Final celebrations of projects and open day events.
For more Information
If you live in the Wilsons River catchment, look out for posters at your local shop, library, church or hall which will advertise upcoming local Reconnecting to Country events. Your local newspapers, newsletters and journals will also be covering the project, so stay tuned.
This website will also be updated on a regular basis.
For further information, please call Shannon Baunach–Greenfields or Emily Coleing at Sustainable Futures Australia on 02 6685 7198.
