Dozens of small cultural burns were conducted across Guuranda (Yorke Peninsula) last week, reinvigorating cultural practice on Nharangga Banggara (Narungga Country).

It is just the second time in recent history that cultural burning has been performed on Yorke Peninsula, signalling a growing movement to unlock this important Narungga land management technique.

During five days in mid-June, Narungga men and women ignited patches of native grasses and similar understorey species across 4 locations in Ardrossan, Point Pearce and Minlaton as part of a Yorke Peninsula Council project funded through the Australian Government’s Preparing Australian Communities – Local Stream.

They were led by renowned fire practitioner Victor Steffensen from Firesticks Alliance, who has now worked with Narungga people on three occasions in the past 18 months.

Northern and Yorke Landscape Board Ranger and Narungga man Farrin Miller was part of the week-long exercise.

“Returning traditional land management ways to Narungga Country is a step forward in restoring this beautiful place to one with thriving native plants and animals for future generations to enjoy,” he said.

The first cultural burn for the week, between 19 and 23 June, was held at Ardrossan Grasslands by Narungga lead fire practitioners Peter Turner and Clem Newchurch, who shared the importance of fire for Country and how the parklands have regenerated since the first burn conducted there in May 2022.

The Ardrossan site is ecologically significant, with at least 89 native plant species in the 6.8 hectare area.

Last year’s burn has helped to reduce thatch, giving the native species space to germinate.
The other burns were held at Wadgedin Scrub at Point Pearce, on private property at Minlaton and at Minlagawi Gum Flat Reserve.

Whilst the rain prevented burns at other locations, Victor explained the importance of storm burns due to Yorke Peninsula’s stony land and plant species, with the need for cold temperatures and soaking rains to ensure burns are slow-moving and controllable.

Participants learned how Yorke Peninsula’s native grasses cure mid to late winter, and burning at this time is crucial to protecting the health of the soil.
The project aims to build cultural burning knowledge, experience and capacity amongst Narungga people and also raise awareness in the broader community about the importance of the practice, its role in reducing wildfire risk and keeping Country healthy through burning in the right way.

These messages will be shared through a series of short films to be produced by Yorke Peninsula Council and premiered at upcoming community workshops.

Council invites the community to come together to reflect, respect and celebrate Australia Day in 2023.

The event will be held at the Maitland Town Hall from 2pm starting with a Citizenship Ceremony followed by the presentation of the Australia Day awards.

YP Leisure Options (YPLO) is a community service provided by Council staff and volunteers, providing services to people with a disability and the elderly. 

This video demonstrates how YPLO’s Wood Shed provides a safe environment and guidance to apply safe operating procedures, ensuring council is a safe, inclusive and accessible work environment for all.

2022 Council Election nominations have now been verified by the Electoral Commission of SA and publicly released.

You can find out more about voting HERE

Timeless cultural burning practices returned to Narungga recently with low-intensity burns at sites on Yorke Peninsula.

The Northern and Yorke Landscape Board is collaborating with First Nations people, Firesticks Alliance Indigenous Corporation and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to undertake cultural burning on Country, with funding from WWF-Australia’s Regenerate Australia program.

The Board engaged Tagalaka man and Firesticks’ Lead Fire Practitioner Victor Steffensen, who holds fire workshops across Australia, to share his knowledge with First Nations people.

Also known as fire-stick farming, cultural burning is a complex practice based on low intensity, cool burns with low flame height, that destroy weeds and promote native vegetation regrowth, particularly grasses.

It is a return to the traditional practices of Aboriginal communities that used fire as one of their tools to manage the land.

Narungga man Cyril Kartinyeri welcomed the return to cultural burning on Yorke Peninsula.

“We are excited to share our knowledge with the wider community about how we care for Country,” he said.

The cultural burns are the result of several months of planning, which began last year with Mr Steffensen joining Narungga representatives in visiting potential sites between Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park and Ardrossan.

The Northern and Yorke Landscape Board held a workshop in Clare with attendees from the Department for Environment and Water (DEW), Country Fire Service, Metropolitan Fire Service, local government, the Native Vegetation Council and First Nations people, who have all played a part in the project’s planning and delivery.

The project culminated with burns led by Mr Steffensen with the involvement of about 20 First Nations people.

The burns were held at Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, on private land near Warooka and at a grasslands site in Ardrossan.

Northern and Yorke Landscape Board Aboriginal Partnerships Officer Matthew Turner said it was an exciting opportunity for the region, as cultural burning has become rare in southern Australia since colonisation.

“Through this project we hope to build capacity in First Nations communities to continue to conduct cultural burning and help prevent large-scale wildfires in the future,” he said.

“The use of fire in the landscape has incredibly important cultural outcomes for Traditional Owners, and is also intended to eventually complement DEW’s prescribed burning program.”

This cultural burning project is part of Marna Banggara, an ambitious project to restore lost species to the landscape.

Read the strategy

A copy of the Strategy is available here:

As part of National Volunteer Week, Mayor Darren Braund invites all volunteers to morning tea to recognize and thank you for your dedication and hard work as volunteers in the Yorke Peninsula Council area.

Wednesday 19 May at 10:30 am at the Minlaton Town Hall. Please RSVP for catering purposes on 8832 0000 or rsvp@yorke.sa.gov.au by 11 may 2021.

Every year the CFS asks that you have written and practiced a Bushfire Survival Plan for you and your family. Often the hardest part is putting pen to paper. This Bushfire Survival Plan Workshop aims to help you fix that issue.

By the end of this session you will have written your own plan for you to take home to discuss with your loved ones.

Price
12 September 2020
2:00pm – 5:00 pm
Price Community Clubrooms, Parnell Terrace, Price
RSVP By: 10th September 2020

For further information and to RSVP, please contact:
Adrian Parente (Community Engagement) on 0457 102 255 or adrian.parente@sa.gov.au

The Councils of Barunga West, Copper Coast and Yorke Peninsula are collaborating on the creation of a regional Disability Access and Inclusion Plan.

The purpose of the Disability Access and Inclusion Plan is to ensure people with disability are included in our community, have access to all information, services and facilities provided by Council. This includes:

• Access to services and events
• Physical access to building and facilities
• Provision of information in accessible formats
• Provision of quality services
• Opportunity to provide feedback
• Opportunity to participate in public consultation
• Awareness on disability and access

The Councils are committed to ensuring accessible and inclusive communities for everyone.  As members of our regional community we are seeking your feedback to assist in the development of The Plan.  Community surveys are available online at https://bit.ly/2ZcQGic and hard copies are available for collection or completion at all Council customer service counters.

Responses to the survey should be provided by 24 July 2020