A landmark partnership between Winjan Aboriginal Corporation and The University of Western Australia will blend Noongar ecological knowledge with world-class science to restore 924 hectares of degraded farmland at Keralup, near Mandurah.
The project will heal internationally significant wetlands, train Noongar students in native grass farming and wetland restoration, and create sustainable, long-term employment opportunities for local communities.
At the centre of the initiative is the UWA Bindjareb Training Centre – an Indigenous-led education, research and enterprise hub where Elders, researchers and students will work together on Country to restore biodiversity and build economic opportunities.
The property to be restored includes a 22km corridor along the Waangaamaap Bilya (Serpentine River) and borders the internationally recognised Peel-Yalgorup wetlands, an area of deep cultural significance for Noongar people.
Winjan is leading the rehabilitation and long-term stewardship of the site and has partnered with UWA to develop the property as an 'On Country laboratory and classroom'.
The program will teach Noongar students native grass farming and wetland restoration while generating valuable environmental research and supporting community-owned enterprises.
Supported by the School of Biological Sciences at UWA, the project will deliver an 18-month course of on-Country micro-credentials developed by Winjan Aboriginal Corporation working with consultants alongside internationally renowned botanist Professor Kingsley Dixon.
The micro-credentials will create certified pathways to degrees and careers in agriculture and horticulture, environmental restoration and management, business, engineering and research.
Training will focus on native grasses such as kangaroo and wallaby grass, which grow in pockets across 72 per cent of the Australian land mass and are increasingly sought after for large-scale restoration and mine-site revegetation.
Students will learn the full cycle of native grass production, from selecting and preparing sites through to harvesting and managing seed, while also gaining skills in drone, satellite and sensor data collection.
The project will support the development of community-owned native seed enterprises, preserving Country while providing long-term economic opportunities for Noongar communities.
Economic modelling suggests that for every hectare of native grass planted through the project, one-to-two ongoing jobs could be created.
Elders and leaders involved in the project include Winjan Aboriginal Corporation Deputy Chair Uncle Brett Hill, Uncle George Walley and Winjan chief executive officer Kallan Nannup.
"This partnership gives our mob the tools, the training and the recognition to lead restoration work on our own Country," Uncle Brett said. "It strengthens culture and it strengthens futures."
Mr Nannup said the initiative demonstrated the power of combining cultural knowledge with scientific research.
"This is about restoring Country the right way, guided by the knowledge our old people have carried for thousands of years and supported by modern science," he said.
"Working together with UWA means our young people can build careers while caring for the lands and waterways our ancestors have always looked after."
The site will also act as a major research hub linked to UWA's Shenton Park Field Station, building a long-term environmental research platform alongside the training program.
UWA Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience), Professor Guy Littlefair, said the partnership with Winjan formed an exciting extension of the University's regional strategy.
"This is what the future of education looks like – Indigenous knowledge systems and world-class science working side-by-side to deliver meaningful training, impactful research and critical economic outcomes," Professor Littlefair said.
UWA Pro Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Education, Professor Jill Milroy, said Indigenous people had always been scientists, teachers and innovators.
"This training hub recognises that expertise and builds qualifications around it, rather than the other way around," Professor Milroy said.
The inaugural cohort of students – nine Bindjareb Noongar rangers – will begin the first module of study on 18 March.
Image above (L-R): Winjan CEO Kallan Nannup, UWA Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Anna Nowak, Winjan Aboriginal Corporation Deputy Chair Uncle Brett Hill, Winjan Director Uncle George Walley, and UWA Professor Kingsley Dixon at Keralup.
Preview image: Professor Anna Nowak and Uncle Brett Hill sign a memorandum of understanding.
