Empowering community, protecting Country: Fire truck gifted to Muli Muli Community
There was joy and pride as local community members gathered on Githabul Country in Northern NSW to celebrate the gift of a fire truck from the NSW Rural Fire Service, equipping the community to better protect itself for generations to come.
The moment symbolised partnership, empowering the community’s living heritage today, and inspiring a new generation of caretakers for tomorrow.
The group celebrating the occasion included Elders, community members and representatives from the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Aboriginal Affairs NSW. They enjoyed a feed together, listened to the Elders speak, and marked the occasion with an official handover ceremony.
Susan Williams, CEO of Muli Muli Local Aboriginal Land Council said: “Resilience is built not only through equipment and infrastructure but through Culture, connection, and community. Together, we continue to build a safer and more resilient Muli Muli community through Aboriginal leadership, strong partnerships, and shared responsibilities to care for Country."
The fire truck handover reinforces a growing recognition across Australian fire authorities of the vital role cultural fire practices play in land management.
Aboriginal communities hold deep understandings of local landscapes, cultural values, risks and priorities. By embedding this knowledge into joint bushfire management committees, local Mob are actively leading the way in developing safer, more culturally respectful fire practices.
Jamie Bertram, Wiradjuri man and Aboriginal Programs Manager for NSW RFS emphasised that building strong, collaborative relationships on the ground is crucial for community safety, especially looking back at the devastating impacts of the 2019 bushfires when Muli Muli was surrounded by fire:
“As an Aboriginal man myself, it’s a beautiful story and fantastic outcome for Muli Muli to have a fire truck. With trained community members to work and manage the truck, the community can continue building their resilience and capacity to look after themselves during disasters and emergencies,” Jamie said.
A key highlight of the handover was the celebration of local leadership. Several Githabul Rangers were officially presented with their Firefighter 1 and 2 combined training certificates.
Local community member Keith Green said: "You're never too old to learn something new in life. This fire brigade is something good for the future generations, for the younger ones. With the Githabul Rangers being part of this burning off, it’s going to be good for the future."
Dean Buchanan, Gumbaynggirr man and Senior Project Officer for Aboriginal Affairs’ Aboriginal Communities Emergency Management Program (ACEMP) said: “This fire truck handover has been amazing. It will help set this community up to prepare for these disasters, for fires especially, and then help the community train around that RFS training.”
Daniel Ainsworth, RFS District Manager for the Northern Rivers said: “The partnership is designed to be a two-way street of learning and mutual respect. I'm looking forward to working with the [Githabul] Rangers to build that experience and learn from cultural burning skills to hopefully pass on to our firefighters.”
Fire truck gifted to Muli Muli Community
There was joy and pride as local community members gathered on Githabul Country in Northern NSW to celebrate the gift of a fire truck from the NSW Rural Fire Service, equipping the community to better protect itself for generations to come.