The Natural Resources Commission oversaw this, as part of the Cross-tenure forest monitoring program.
Three Aboriginal‑led case studies were carried out to understand cultural values in forests before and after the 2019–20 wildfires. The studies took place on:
Each case study was facilitated by Firesticks Alliance Indigenous Corporation and guided by local working groups. This helped make sure the approach suited each region and involved the right land managers, experts and knowledge holders. The project is part of broader work to develop a model for assessing Aboriginal values across forest tenures through Aboriginal‑led, Country‑based assessments, monitoring and research.
Reports are now available for each case study, along with a synthesis report (PDF 1.7MB) that brings together the shared findings and outcomes.
There are also videos about the Banbai and Gumbaynggirr case studies, as well as videos on related work such as fauna monitoring by Banbai Rangers and cultural burning on Gumbaynggirr land.
This work has been recognised by NSW Aboriginal Affairs and NSW land managers as a strong example of the benefits of Aboriginal‑led, Country‑based land management.
The findings
Each case study answered key research questions using methods designed by the local groups, based on their interests and goals.
Shared findings include:
- There are major gaps in knowledge about Aboriginal cultural values before and after the fires, especially where Aboriginal people have had limited access to manage or care for Country.
- The fires significantly affected many cultural values and practices.
- Some cultural values were destroyed or placed at higher risk, such as burnt scar trees, rock art and stone artefacts weakened by heat or exposed to erosion.
- Post‑fire site visits helped identify cultural values, including scar trees, artefact scatters and cultural resource sites, and supported ongoing cultural responsibilities.
- Outside of Aboriginal‑managed lands, Aboriginal people are not involved enough in land management and decision‑making. This can lead to poor environmental, cultural and social outcomes.
Areas for improvement
The case studies identified several ways to strengthen outcomes, including:
- Increasing Aboriginal involvement in public land management, especially through Aboriginal‑owned and managed land tenures and whole‑of‑Country planning.
- Building stronger relationships between Aboriginal people, government and private land managers to improve access and protection of cultural values.
- Expanding opportunities and funding for Aboriginal‑led cultural value identification, management, access and monitoring.
- Increasing Aboriginal involvement in fire planning, management, recovery and monitoring, including protecting at‑risk values and taking part in recovery work.
Additional benefits
The case studies also showed wider benefits, such as:
- Demonstrating the strength and success of local, Aboriginal‑led approaches.
- Creating new and stronger partnerships between Aboriginal communities, NSW land management agencies and other experts, including support for local people to develop forest monitoring skills and for Elders to share knowledge.
- Providing new opportunities for Aboriginal people to identify, manage and renew cultural values across their Country.
- Helping some groups reconnect with private landholders and regain access to important cultural sites after long periods of exclusion.
