The Birpai and Bunyah Local Aboriginal Land councils are working with Forestry Corporation to bring together knowledge of cultural burning with government bushfire management.

A fire training camp will be held at Guulabaa – Place of Koala in Cowarra State Forest near Wauchope made possible through Fire, Country and People, a three-year Australian Government-funded project.

Fire and incident management specialists Fireground will provide the accredited firefighting training to members of the Wauchope and Port Macquarie Aboriginal communities from Monday, March 17 to Thursday, March 20.

Forestry Corporation’s Aboriginal Heritage and Partnerships Manager John Shipp said the fire training will provide participants skills and qualifications in firefighting.

“This program creates an opportunity for the Birpai and Bunyah communities to work with government agencies to develop a path forward for effective and sustainable bushfire management combining traditional cultural burning and modern firefighting techniques,” Mr Shipp said.

“This will improve the resilience of the community to major bushfires. 

“The use of fire in the environment is only one aspect of the community’s land management experience which has existed for sixty-odd thousand years,” he said.

Fire, Country and People will also help to build the scientific evidence base behind cultural burning.

A research program will look to understand the effect that traditional Aboriginal fire practices have on the intensity and extent of bushfires.

The $3-million Fire, Country and People: Aboriginal Community Disaster Ready Project has received funding from the Australian Government and is jointly funded by Forestry Corporation.

To find out more about Fire, Country and People go to  www.forestrycorporation.com.au