Tamworth Aboriginal ranger program makes partnership and restorations

North West Local Land Services (LLS) Aboriginal Community Officer Luke Raveneau told the Leader the NSW Local Land Service's new Aboriginal Ranger Program, launched last year, has been a major success in revitalising travelling stock reserves (TSRs) for the Tamworth Aboriginal community.

"The ranger program has been very successful in the North West region. We've been allocated two TSRs to work on, Rocky Waterhole and Bective," Mr Raveneau said.

The two stock routes are quickly becoming breathtaking sites of natural beauty thanks to the collaborative efforts of LLS, their Aboriginal rangers, and other local groups.

"What we've been doing over the last 18 months have been cultural burning, planting native trees, and connecting back to country, looking after country and these two TSRs," Aboriginal Ranger Ethan Waters said.

Ethan said working on the land has been a big step up from his last job working at Domino's and recommends any young Aboriginal person uncertain of their future to look into the ranger program.

"It's a great experience. You can learn heaps, meet new people, and have new experiences," Ethan said.

The result of the rangers' work on the land is undeniable, with greenery and native plant life already returning to the stock routes.

And the LLS Aboriginal Community Officer told the Leader the program is just getting started.

"At the state level the future is looking bright because they're looking at a version two of the Aboriginal Ranger program. I'm not too sure when that will start but this was a pilot program so there are a lot of things we can improve on and look forward to fixing," Mr Raveneau said.

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Mr Raveneau said in future he'd like to see the Aboriginal Ranger program grow, with more trainees gaining the skills and experiences needed to build successful careers in land management, and in the LLS more broadly.

Another feather in the cap for the Aboriginal Ranger program is a recently-formalised partnership between North West LLS and the Tamworth Local Aboriginal Land Council (TLALC).

TLALC has its own Walaaybaa Aboriginal Ranger project, launched in February, which shares very similar objectives with the LLS Aboriginal Ranger program.

Both strive to provide training and on-the-job experience for Aboriginal people in Tamworth while promoting and conserving the natural environment, protecting cultural heritage sites, enhancing Aboriginal people's connection to country and offering future career opportunities.

"We've worked with LLS across a number of successful regionally significant projects including Rocky Waterhole, Borah Crossing, and Bective Reserve Cultural Burns, and associated re-vegetation projects," Walaaybaa Aboriginal Ranger operations manager Sam Des Forges said.

Mr Des Forges said the collaborative approach to cultural and environmental conservation leads to lasting outcomes, connections and shared success.

The so-far fruitful restoration of the Rocky Waterhole TSR is of major significance to Gomeroi people in the region.

Gomeroi legend says that Garriya the Rainbow Serpent, a fabulous monster which appeared in a snake-like form, once tunnelled through the land, creating the streams and waterways which now feed life to the region.

But the snake beast could be vicious, and travellers were warned not to sleep next to the waterhole lest the Rainbow Serpent emerge from the water and eat them alive.

The eventual hope for the Rocky Waterhole, Borah Crossing, and Bective Reserve TSRs is to restore them to their former glory and open them up for recreational use, but for now most are gated closed to prevent 4x4 riders from wasting the landcare workers' efforts.

North West LLS Team Leader Strategy and Partnerships Colin Formann said the new partnership between the two Aboriginal Ranger initiatives will result in improved outcomes for the cultural management of the TSRs in the region.

"With such similar program objectives, it makes sense to share our knowledge and assist each other to resource activities locally," Mr Formann said.

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