Jack Green and Jack Hogan (TBC), Senior Garawa and Waanyi traditional owners

The Waanyi/Garawa Aboriginal Land Trust is situated in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria along the Northern Territory/Queensland border. It covers some 12,000 sq. km of land and contains bio-regions of national significance. Since traditional owners moved off the land trust - because of the lack of provision of basic services (health, housing and education) that they should enjoy as a citizenship entitlement - their country has experienced large-scale late dry season hot fires. In some years these fires burn in excess of 16,000 sq kms, beyond the land trust area. The long-term result of these uncontrolled hot fires is evident across much of the land trust, where vast areas of country have lost significant areas of vegetation. The loss of this vegetation means the loss of feeding and breeding habitats for many native, especially endemic threatened, species.

Jack Green and Donald Shadforth will talk about community efforts to build a Caring for Country program to tackle threatening ecological processes, create employment in remote areas and assist Waanyi and Garawa people return to their country to keep culture strong.