Twelve men from the Barapa Barapa Nation Aboriginal Corporation, employed through the North Central Catchment Management Authority’s (CMA) Drought Employment Program in 2009, represented Victoria as a finalist at the recent National Landcare Awards gala presentation held in Canberra on 24 June 2010. 

North Central CMA program manager, Tim Shanahan, attended the awards night and is proud of the group’s achievements.

“The group won the 2009 Victorian Indigenous Landcare Award.  To go on and represent the entire state in the Leighton Holdings Indigenous Award category at the National Landcare Awards is an amazing and well deserved recognition of their hard work and commitment to their people, land and Drought Employment Program. The eventual winner of the category was South Coast NRM from Western Australia, but our project of blending cultural heritage with river health assessments was extremely well received and congratulated.

“Under the Drought Employment Program, the North Central CMA saw an opportunity for local Aboriginal people to connect to country around the Kerang Lakes and Gunbower Forest,” said Mr Shanahan.  “The program also enabled the team to participate in accredited training and gain skills and experience to undertake environmental site assessments along the Loddon River, from Appin South to Kerang in the state’s north.  Overall, more than 268 Aboriginal cultural heritage sites were identified.

“The team focused on Aboriginal Cultural Heritage and river health assessment as they moved along the 26 kilometre stretch of the Loddon River.  They assessed flora and fauna, pest plants and animals, river condition, deep river pools, riparian vegetation, fish habitat, rubbish build-up, bank erosion and waterway and boundary fencing in need of repair.  It also increased our understanding of Aboriginal issues within the North Central CMA region and opened up communication,” said Mr Shanahan.

Mr Shanahan stressed the importance of cultural heritage protection works in the big picture of natural resource management in the region.

“The field assessments are a unique blend of certified Aboriginal Cultural Heritage identification with river health assessment. The bringing together of these two NRM aspects has resulted in a distinctive understanding of this section of the river. We can now plan river works along this section to achieve far better outcomes for the environment and the Aboriginal community”.

The project also provided an opportunity for the sharing of knowledge with the wider community. The team made contact with all of the private landholders along the river survey area, to negotiate access and inform them about the project. The wider community has also been informed through regular project updates in the local media. The team received expert advice and support from staff at Department of Primary Industries Kerang, the Gannawarra Shire and Bendigo Regional Institute of Technology.

The Drought Employment team was employed under the North Central Drought Employment Program, part of a Victorian Government $2.4 million investment across the state in 2009.  Cultural site information collected by the crew was made available to Aboriginal Affairs Victoria for confirmation and registration on the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register.


For further information please contact: 

Communications Officer, North Central CMA
PO Box 18, Huntly VIC 3551
t: 03 5448 7124
e: info@nccma.vic.gov.au