Poolamacca trains up locals in natural resource management

Fifteen Indigenous people from Broken Hill have recently completed training to improve their land management skills.

The participants are members of the Wilyakali Aboriginal Corporation which operates Poolamacca Station, 80 kilometres north of Broken Hill.

Funding

The Corporation received more than $17,000 from the Australian Government. It had approached the Broken Hill office of the Western Catchment Management Authority for assistance to improve Corporation members' knowledge of natural resource management (NRM) and general property and business management.

Activities

The funding enabled the 15 Corporation members to undertake a course titled Planning for the Future. Designed to bring a 'sense of reality' to land use, the course teaches how to:

1. analyse the condition of natural resources on a property
2. explore and analyse different land use options
3. assess the skills of people involved
4. identify training that might be required to undertake future activities
5. complete a property management plan
6. access future funding for infrastructure development to help with management of natural resources on the property

Western Catchment Management Authority Chair Rory Treweeke said the course had "given the local Barkindji people the skills and confidence to manage their property effectively."

The group focused on the future management of Poolamacca Station, concentrating on the development of a number of key enterprises including:

1. sheep
2. tourism
3. bush tucker
4. harvesting feral goats

Initial projects, including building a nursery and putting in fencing to protect Aboriginal and European graves have been completed.

One course participant told ABC Radio's New South Wales Country Hour that the experience gained from the course has been very valuable while another, Jade O'Donnell said he loves the skills he is learning on the land.

Acting Wilyakali chairperson Maureen O'Donnell, said the drought had so far prevented the growth of bush tucker. This would however eventually be grown in the nursery.

"We are waiting for seeds because of the drought," she said. "We have the nursery, but not the plants. No-one has any seeds." Maureen said that once the plants had come back after the drought it would be possible to start collecting seeds.

More information

1. Rory Treweeke, Western Catchment Management Authority Chair: (02) 6829 0301
2. Western CMA 

Australian Government NRM Team
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
1800 552 008 (toll-free)

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Caring for our Country is an Australian Government initiative jointly administered by the Australian Government departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts