THE Coffs Harbour and District Local Aboriginal Land Council (CHDLALC) has been granted $435,000 for its Gumbaynggirr Fire Management Resource Expansion and Development program through the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program.

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“This funding means Coffs Harbour and District Local Aboriginal Land Council can purchase fire management assets for our new Fire Depot at Raleigh to maintain fire trails and respond to fires and increase our cultural burning capacity,” Matthew Smith, Programs Coordinator, CHDLALC told News Of The Area.

CHDLALC will perform on-ground fire management activities such as Fire Trail Maintenance and Mitigation work using traditional Aboriginal fire methods to protect the built environment and run an emergency fire response training series out of the Raleigh Fire Depot to help reduce the severity of fire disasters for the region.

For that they need access to privately owned land as well as public land.

“CHDLALC Ranger Teams and Fire Practitioners urge local private landholders to get involved in our Gumbaynggirr-led planning and implementation of cultural fire methods.

“For this CHDLALC welcomes the opportunity to work with local landowners to assess their properties and implement cultural burning in the Coffs Harbour LGA and the Lower Bellinger catchments.”

Land stakeholders, NPWS, Forestry NSW, LLS, CHCC and RFS, have all expressed their support in the project, seeing it as an initiative to enhance resources and capacities of emergency fire management response led by Indigenous Ranger Teams in the Bellingen and Coffs Coast regions.

“Most cultural burn projects and other burn projects require an authorised Hazard Burn Certificate issued by a fire authority such as RFS; this can take time during assessment and approval stage.

“If you have a burn project in mind, I advise you to contact CHDLALC Aboriginal Ranger Teams at least five months prior, in order for projects to be planned out, lodged with fire authority and approved in time for the burn.

“CHDLALC Cultural Fire Practitioners plan to commence cultural burning projects as soon as mid-April this year,” said Matthew.

There are three key fire management assets being purchased.

The Bulk Water Storage Tanker is a multi-purpose, off-road capable tanker that can carry more water than urban fire engines.

“This will provide us with pump-and-roll firefighting capabilities, allowing us to deliver water while moving, which is effective in fighting bushfires and fast-moving grass fires,” said Matthew.

A Skid Steer Loader with multiple bucket/fork attachments, provides the capacity to dig, collect, lift, and move material, and is particularly suitable for containment line establishment and fire trail roading works.

A 4WD Light Vehicle will come equipped with a Quick Corp 2000 Fire Unit installed on its tray.

“By housing fire equipment that is easy to access at the Raleigh Depot, we can support local RFS and emergency services during peak fire season,” said Matthew.

Across Gumbaynggirr Country, CHDLALC will work with training providers to deliver a series of training programs to internal staff and broader Aboriginal community members on Front-End Loader Operations, Heavy Rigid Vehicle Licensing, Emergency Fire Response Training, Fire Trail Construction and Maintenance.

This will upskill the CHDLALC team to perform on-ground fire management activities including cultural fire, bushfire mitigation activities, and emergency response operations.

“This project provides the best resources to all Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners for planned fire regimes (Bushfire Hazard Reduction Burns, Cultural Burns) as well as providing bushfire prevention works and help with incidents requiring emergency bushfire response.

Both Rangers and other local Aboriginal people will perform fire management and mitigation works including conducting cultural burns to manage the region’s fuel load.

Increasing the resources and capability of Gumbaynggirr people to actively protect and defend their Country and care for their people will also enhance community health, social and cultural recovery, and resilience.

This project would enable Gumbaynggirr Communities to safely apply traditional cultural land management practices and develop a deeper connection to culture.

“This project will significantly increase CHDLALC firefighting and mitigation resources and our ability to share cultural knowledge and skills,” said Matthew.

For further insight on the bigger picture CHDLALC’s has on land management in Gumbaynggirr Country, see the team’s 71 documentary film – https://youtu.be/fmIjQqSNB9g

By Andrea FERRARI