Cool Burning for Culture and Ecological Knowledge

Key information

The project engages with and encourages First Nations people to restore and manage the ecological community by conducting a cultural burn and reducing threats such as invasive weeds.

Throughout the duration of the project, Local Land Services will work with First Nations people to:

• conduct 4 cultural burns plus pre- and post-burn monitoring work
• hold 19 community events
• control approximately 100 ha of weeds
• revegetate up to 2 ha.

Project background

Box-gum grassy woodlands are listed as critically endangered in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Traditional caring for Country practices, such as cultural burns, can help manage and restore these ecological communities.   

Project objectives

The work aims to improve or maintain the condition of critically endangered White Box–Yellow Box–Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland (BGGW) by increasing our understanding of the role that traditional fire management practices have in its protection and recovery.  

By project end in June 2028, we anticipate:  

• the landscapes at the selected work sites will be showing strong signs of recovery, resulting in an increase in native plant species appearing in the areas  
• the data from plant monitoring will provide insights into the impact of fire on north-west NSW vegetation communities to inform future scheduling of cultural and controlled burns in the region
• First Nations communities will be empowered to continue their traditional caring for Country practices and pass on knowledge to younger generations, ensuring the ecological community remains for generations to come.  

Project delivery

Local Elder advice and ecological assessment will inform the cultural burn site selections under precautionary principles to identify risks and prevent any unintentional loss to the ecological community.  

Work includes:

• administering carefully timed low intensity cultural burns to improve ecological functioning of BGGW  
• baseline plant monitoring of burn sites and annual post-burn monitoring measuring the ecological response to fire
• weed control including pre- and post-treatment surveys
• revegetating BGGW habitat
• community education events and materials
• community skills and knowledge surveys.

Project timeline

2023–25: 

• work site identification through ecological assessments and in consultation with First Nations communities
• discussions with land managers about planned works
• community skills and knowledge surveys and awareness events begin.

2024–27: 

• cultural burns at selected sites
• plant monitoring before and after cultural burns
• knowledge sharing events
• community awareness events
• weed control and monitoring.

2027–28: 

• revegetation activities
• community skills and knowledge surveys
• project close (30 Jun 2028) and outcomes reporting. 

Work underway

• Site identification and assessment of priority cultural burn sites underway in consultation with First Nations communities.
• Plant BBQ Roadshow delivered at Gunnedah, Tamworth and Wee Waa in August 2024 to share knowledge on box-gum grassy woodlands, fire management, fire ecology and plant flammability.

How to get involved

Opportunities to get involved in education workshops during this project will be promoted through our social media sites, e-newsletters and local media as they become available. 

Funding and partnerships

Our key stakeholders are:

• ecological consultants
• Local Aboriginal Land Councils
• Local First Nations communities
• NSW government departments and contractors
• NSW Rural Fire Service  
• universities.

This project is funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and delivered by North West Local Land Services, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel.