The project entitled ‘Pathway to a Malgana Country Land and Sea Management Program’ has been funded by the State Government (Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions) since 2018 under its Aboriginal Ranger Program. It is currently hosted by Malgana Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, with support from YMAC.
Since then, key highlights have been:
- The recruitment by YMAC of a Malgana Land & Sea Management Coordinator, whose role is to supervise the program, organise and oversee the various training activities, liaise with Malgana Aboriginal Corporation, and generally facilitate the synergies and partnerships between stakeholders and the Malgana community with regard to conservation and land management activities.
- The formation of a Land & Sea Management Reference Group, a sub-committee of the board of directors of Malgana Aboriginal Corporation and responsible for providing direction and guidance for the program in its current and future stages.
- The accredited training of Malgana students in conservation and land management (Cert I and II).
- Securing funding for wages for the rangers
- Identifying fee-for-service opportunities and cementing partnerships with key stakeholders such as the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), the Shire of Shark Bay and Bush Heritage Australia.
Activities undertaken to-date have been very diverse and form part of either a works program implemented for DBCA, or as pilot fee-for service initiatives for the University of Western Australia, Rangelands NRM WA, Bush Heritage Australia, and the Ecological Restoration Program on Dirk Hartog Island National Park.
Key Activities:
- Seagrass restoration tasks
- Erosion control
- Track reconciliation
- Installation of bollards and wheel stops
- Sensor camera data analysis
- Setting and retrieving baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS)
- Marine park patrols
- Crewing for vessel operations on the WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) barge
- Visitor interactions within François Peron National Park