The Victorian State Government have a decision to make about the future of the Central Highlands State Forest, and the Taungurung Land and Waters Council (TLaWC) are advocating to be an integral part of the recovery model for revitalising Country.
A State Government reporting body known as the Eminent Panel for Community Engagement (EPCE), have diligently hosted over 50 engagement sessions, including on Country meetings with Traditional Owners, and have received over 700 responses from Engage Victoria, a Victorian Government online consultation platform.
TLaWC Executive Manager of Biocultural Landscapes Matthew Shanks said they advocate for healthy Country for all, and when they walk on Country, they see varying levels of health concerns, including evidence of deforestation, fire disturbed earth, and areas where an invasive species is forcing out the Indigenous species.
Mr Shanks said he recently went on a three-day country camping trip with Taungurung Elders and the community, to the Central Highlands Forest and together they identified vast landscapes that can heal if they are managed consistently according to their cultural lore.
“We are recognising that some areas of the forest are heavily overstocked with blackberry and gully weeds, and other invasive species,” he said.
The Central Highlands forest is home to the Mountain Ash, the world’s tallest flowering plant, and home to one of Australia’s most endangered mammals, the Leadbeater’s Possum.
“So, we take a holistic approach. We need to reemploy those storylines which describe for example the habitats of a significant species, a tree species, or a medicine species, and then we manage healthy habitats for those species which will have an impact on the sicker parts of the country,” Mr Shanks said.
Ultimately, the EPCE will provide their recommendations for the future of the Central Highlands management to the Minister of Environment Tanya Plibersek. Mr Shanks said they are confident the Minister will make a sound decision.
“The Taungurung have been hunting and fishing and camping (if you want to use those words and that language), for hundreds and thousands of years. We are not in the business of stopping people from building relationships with Country and having those opportunities to share experiences with families. The Taungurung people were locked out from Country, and it was what made us sick. We don’t want the same thing to happen to anybody,” Mr Shanks said.
“It’s an opportunity for us to have a say about what we believe is right for Country.”
For more information about the Taungurung cultural land management report, visit www.taungurung.com.au.
