Visions for healthy Country

This project will support Aboriginal-led initiatives and focus on delivering outcomes for the critically endangered native guava and UNESCO-listed Gondwana Rainforest.     

Project background

North Coast LLS acknowledges the importance of Country to Aboriginal communities in the region and supports their continuing deep and reciprocal relationship with Country.

Caring for Country is about ensuring Country's physical and spiritual features, as well as the beings within it, remain healthy and balanced through sustainable Aboriginal-led approaches to care.

This project continues to support Aboriginal groups to deliver programs that will improve threatened ecological communities (TECs) and native guava conservation efforts.

Project objectives

The Visions for Healthy Country project will:  

• empower Aboriginal communities to continue traditional and contemporary caring for Country practices and share knowledge with younger generations
• support conservation of areas of national environmental significance, including the critically endangered native guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides) and TECs in the region’s rainforests and coastal areas.   

Project delivery

Work includes:

• supporting Aboriginal communities to plan conservation programs on their ancestral lands
• enabling Aboriginal groups to implement Healthy Country Plans  
• Country visits and cultural heritage surveys
• hosting workshops or events that maintain intergenerational connection to Country
• identifying and monitoring native guava populations and other matters of national environmental significance on Country
• training to develop skills and knowledge in traditional and contemporary caring for Country practices
• controlling weeds
• fire management.    

Project timeline

2023–24:

• develop project scope and delivery initiatives.  

2024–25:

• engage with Aboriginal communities and identify project partner organisations
• establish project partner leadership at project workshops
• develop project strategies and customised Healthy Country work plans
• establish native guava monitoring protocols and programs.

2025–26:

• support project partners to deliver Healthy Country programs  
• establish work programs in weed control and fire management
• deliver training in weed control and fire management skills. 

2026–28:

• complete Healthy Country work programs
• showcase project partner activities and leadership at project workshops
• project close (June 2028) and outcomes reporting. 

Work underway

• 8 engagement events, including a webinar, were conducted with Aboriginal groups across the North Coast region to identify project delivery partners
• Project partner leadership workshop hosted at the Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens.
• Healthy Country work plans prepared.
• Native guava populations monitored.
• Fire management training workshop delivered. 

How to get involved

Although broader community participation opportunities are not available for this project, you can learn about natural resource management and species protection in your own area through our newsletter and by accessing information and resources on our website. 

Funding and partnerships

Local Land Services' key delivery partners are Aboriginal communities and organisations.

This project is funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and delivered by North Coast Local Land Services, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel. All outcomes for this project are recorded in MERIT.