Water for Country
LOCATION
Barapa Barapa and Wamba Wemba Country, north entral Victoria
TRADITIONAL OWNERS
Barapa Barapa and Wamba Wemba
ACHIEVEMENTS
- Employment of an aboriginal Water
Officer. - Lake Boga Children’s Day.
- Cultural Monitoring Plan.
- Traditional Owner-led seasonal watering proposal and cultural
heritage investigations.
INVESTMENT
Victorian Government, 2024-25 funding $305,010
PARTNERS
Barapa Barapa and Wamba Wemba communities, DEECA, Goulburn Murray Water, Parks Victoria, First Peoples State Relations, local primary schools, local councils
Eleven years working alongside local First Nations people to restore and protect one of the few remaining river red gum floodplains in Victoria has produced long lasting legacies and opportunities
The Barapa Barapa Wamba Wemba Water for Country project has broken new ground across natural resource management, First Nations self-determination, and creating opportunities that have crossed generations.
Innovation was on clear display in this last year of the project that aimed to increase First Nations People’s influence over water policy and decision-making. It also aimed to provide employment and economic development for Barapa Barapa Wamba Wemba and promote cultural values, heritage, and practice to be part of government policy and practice.
The project’s many achievements are not just milestones – they speak to self-determination and the strength of community, culture, and Country. It placed the First Nations communities in the north of the catchment at the heart of water for the environment delivery and planning. From cultural burns and ecological knowledge sharing to the development of frameworks to guide future generations, the impact of the Water for Country work will be felt for years to come. The project wrapped up with events such as the children’s day celebration at Lake Boga that promoted Aboriginal water values and aspirations and gave families a great day out.
The CMA’s Aboriginal Water Officer supported the Steering Committee’s values and aspirations to care for Country. This resulted in self-determined project outcomes including a Cultural Monitoring Plan that combines consideration of both intangible and tangible cultural values. In partnership with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder, the CMA investigated potential future sites where water for the environment can support cultural objectives including Red Gum Swamp in the catchment’s north.
The outcomes added to work over the previous decade, which saw the engagement of more than 80 Traditional Owners, a national Landcare award, cultural awareness in schools, the Barapa Barapa Wamba Wemba Ecological Knowledge Guide, being the first non-formally recognised group to do a cultural burn with DEECA, involvement in seasonal watering proposals, and a lot more.
Reed Bed Swamp – Traditional Owner Seasonal Watering Plan engagement.
