YELLOMUNDEE FIRESTICKS REVIEW

Image: Bundanon Trust Cape York Firesticks. Credit: Bear Hunt Photography on firesticks.org.au

Image: Bundanon Trust Cape York Firesticks. Credit: Bear Hunt Photography on firesticks.org.au

This review of the social and environmental effects of the Yellomundee Firesticks program was commissioned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Hawkesbury Area.

This project involved a participant-led review of the Yellomundee Firesticks cultural burning program that began in June 2014 at Shaws Creek in NSW as part of Yellomundee Aboriginal Bushcare.

The project produced a proposal for the NPWS on the immediate and mid-term future of the Firesticks program, covering what is required to enable the program to continue in directions that participants identify as important. Cultural as well as environmental implications were considered.

This project addressed important questions of how to re-establish and manage cultural burning as an opportunity to address a challenge facing many disturbed locations in Australia.

Burning practice advice to the Yellomundee pilot was provided by people burning in Far North Queensland. A delegation of mainly Darug and Gundungurra people, and including local Aboriginal Parks & Wildlife employee, Den Barber, visited Cape York and made connection. The climate, vegetation and terrain in Cape York were obviously very different from the conditions in NSW at Yellomundee, and these factors were taken into consideration.

The NPWS commissioned facilitators through the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute who worked with the Firesticks participants and the NPWS Project Steering Group to bring together people and information in a manner that was appropriate and culturally safe.

The project drew upon the knowledge and opinions of participants and collaborators using an iterative process, gathering and sharing participants observations in stages. This approach culminated in the development of the report, including recommendations.

Yellomundee Firesticks participants: Den Barber, Garry Blount, Ed Cameron, Dan Chalker, Douglas Clark, Wayne Cornish, Oliver Costello, Jeffrey Cottrell, Uncle Lex Dadd, Lachlan Garland, Paul Glass, Aunty Sharyn Halls, Keirilee James, Danny Lett, Vickii Lett, Ingrid Matthews, Glenn Meade, Peter Mobbs, Kirsty Reynolds, Chris Tobin, Jacinta Tobin, Jeremy Walker, Erin Wilkins; also children Jasper Tobin and Corey Barker.

The review and report processes were guided by the NPWS Project Steering Group comprising Dennis Barber - Aboriginal Co-management Officer, NPWS Blue Mountains Region; Paul Glass - Ranger, NPWS Hawkesbury Area; Vickii Lett - Project Officer, NPWS Hawkesbury Area; and Glenn Meade - Manager, NPWS Hawkesbury Area.

The project was facilitated by Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute. Project Facilitator Anne Fitzgerald was assisted by Nahid Sultana, the institute’s Program Director Dr Rosalie Chapple and the NPWS Project Steering Group.