May brings some good news for nature!
May saw some good news headlines for nature in Queensland – from the Palaszczuk Government expanding Tewantin National Park to providing funding for Traditional Owners to care for Country.
More than 2,400 hectares of what was state forest and plantation near Noosa will be added to Tewantin National Park to protect nature and ensure it is managed for future generations.
The land was purchased by the state government in partnership with Noosa Council and the Noosa Parks Association.
Queensland Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said the government would now turn the old Yurol Ringtail State Forest north of Cooroy into a national park, with major revegetation works to be carried out by the Kabi Kabi People Aboriginal Corporation, Greenfleet Australia and Noosa Landcare.
This is good news for people and nature – protecting the environment while creating new jobs and training opportunities for locals.
“Tewantin and Noosa national parks play an incredibly important role in the local environment and also bring in thousands of tourists every year to this area – so any chance to expand it will reap huge benefits for the community,” Minister Scanlon said.
“Our goal now is to progressively increase the management role of Kabi Kabi people in working with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service over our National Park country,” Norman Bond, Chair of the Kabi Kabi Peoples Aboriginal Corporation said.
Michael Gloster from the Noosa Parks Association said the agreement lays the foundations for a formidable caring for Country partnership with the Kabi Kabi People. “The Noosa Parks Association has been working for a continuous national park running from Coolum to Cooloola for the past 60 years.”
This month the Palaszczuk Government also announced it was partnering with the Bunya People’s Aboriginal Corporation to protect close to 1,000 hectares of habitat and create jobs in the Toowoomba and South Burnett regions.
Meaghan Scanlon said that the new Indigenous rangers would be caring for Country on eight nature refuges, working with the landholders to manage weeds and carry out controlled burns.
The General Manager of the Bunya People’s Aboroginal Corporation Mr Paul Dawson said “the outcomes will not only enhance key values across private nature refuges, but build lasting partnerships between landholders, Aboriginal Rangers and key government environmental programs.”
Lastly, this month the government announced close to $1 million for fourteen First Nations communities in Queensland to look after Country and create close to 80 new jobs for Indigenous rangers and project managers.
Minister Scanlon said this would see more activities undertaken to revegetate native species, to mitigate against erosion and to preserve thousands of years of cultural heritage.
Jamie Satani, Wanyurr-Majay Director said the Caring for Country grant would help the organisation engage and train Madjaybana land custodians by building their skills in cultural burns and other aspects of caring for their Country.
We’ve helped put protecting and managing Queensland’s natural and cultural heritage on the agenda this month.
Together, we’re making a difference for people and nature but with the 2022 Queensland Budget announced in less than a month, it’s time to make sure nature comes out on top.
