Traditional Owners and area of operation

The traditional owners of the Waanyi/Garawa Aboriginal Land Trust (ALT) (also known as the Nicholson Block) are the Waanyi and Garawa peoples. The land trust is approximately 60 km from the coast in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria and abuts the Northern Territory/Queensland border. The land trust is approximately 12,000 sq km. Garawa estates lie within the northern end of the land trust and extend north to the coast and west towards Borroloola while Waanyi estates cover the remainder of the land trust to the south and east over the Northern Territory border into Queensland. The Waanyi/Garawa own the Waanyi/Garawa ALT under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (ALRA).

There are few people living permanently on the land trust. The majority of traditional owners of the land trust now live in Borroloola, Doomadgee, Tennant Creek and Mt Isa. Traditional owners slowly moved off the land trust about 10 years ago due to a lack of service provision. There are a number of outstations on the land trust that are occupied seasonally. They are Jilundarina, Burrumburru, Bajaminyi, Nudjabarra, Gumuluji, Ganduwarra, Wangalinji and Murrun Murula. There are few vehicular tracks on the land trust, making access to many areas very difficult. Furthermore, with few people living permanently on country, there are few resources available to traditional owners to undertake cultural and natural resource management work. A pattern of extensive hot late season fires in the southern Gulf region is appearing, some burning over 16,000 sq km, beyond the land trust area.

Landscape description

The majority of the Waanyi/Garawa ALT falls within the Gulf Fall and Uplands Bioregion while a very small portion, in the south east of the land trust, falls within the Mount Isa In-lier bioregion.

The Gulf Fall and Uplands bioregion is the second largest in the Northern Territory stretching from the Arnhem Land Plateau into western Queensland. It covers some 111,783 sq km of land, with some 36 per cent of the bioregion owned by Aboriginal people under the ALRA (NRETA 2005:88).

The most extensive vegetation in the Gulf Fall and Uplands bioregion is woodland dominated by Darwin Stringybark (Eucalyptus tetrodonta) and Variable-barked Bloodwood (Corymbia dichromophloia) with Spinifex understorey and woodland dominated by Northern Box (Eucalyptus tectifica) with tussock grass understorey (NRETA 2005:88). There are substantial stands of the fire sensitive Cypress Pine (Callitris intratropica) especially on the Garawa ALT (NRETA 2005:88).

The Mount Isa Inlier bioregion occupies only a very small area of the Northern Territory east of the Barkley Tableland, on the border with Queensland. It falls within the semi-arid zone, with rainfall averaging 500 mm pa. The bioregion generally comprises stony hills and ranges, with skeletal soils supporting low open Eucalypt woodlands with a tussock grass (Triodia) understorey (NRETA 2005:113). The major topographical feature of the Waanyi/Garawa ALT is the linear escarpment called China Wall in the northern section of the land trust. China Wall is an area that has been identified as a site of conservation significance (NRETA 2005a:137). A number of threatened species have been recorded in this area including Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), Bustard (Ardeotis australis), and Carpentarian Grasswren (Amytornis dorotheae).

The major rivers and creeks in the Nicholson Basin include the Gregory, Carrara, South Nicholson, Fish and the Nicholson. These flow from the escarpment country (China Wall) to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Water quality is generally considered to be good on the land trust, with the greatest threat coming from feral animals. The water quality in some wetlands is very poor in the late Dry Season due to feral cattle. Riparian margins are also damaged from horses, cattle, buffaloes and pigs. Feral populations of horses are reported as having a severe impact on watering points.

At Settlement Creek, to the north of the land trust, there have been reports of an algae bloom type occurrence where the water turns blue in colour, possibly related to mining activity near by. This is a major concern to traditional owners.

Permanent billabongs contain an important source of bush food for Waanyi/Garawa people, such as barramundi, black bream, cherubim, turtle, mussels, seeds, bulbs and rhizomes. Feral animals threaten this important food resource. Traditional owners are seeking to control these animals but require technical, financial and logistical support to do so.

The Waanyi/Garawa ALT is relatively weed free with only minor infestations of weeds, in particular Candle Bush (Senna sp.), in the northern portion of the Waanyi/Garawa ALT. The occurrence of Rubber Vine (Cryptostegia grandiflora), a weed of national significance, which inhabits vast areas of the gulf country in Queensland is of major concern.

Tourists (particularly anglers) have potential to move weeds to or from Queensland. Dirt roads with the low-level creek crossings of the Savanna Highway increase this hazard. The Waanyi/Garawa ALT is in a strategic position in regards to cross-border weed management.

The greatest threat to the biodiversity on the land trust is the lack of a resident population. For example, as a consequence of this lack of a human presence, living permanently, on the land trust, the biodiversity of country, particularly the northern portion, is beginning to suffer from annual late hot fires. These late hot fires are altering vegetation and habitats, particularly in the area of highest conservation significance, the China Wall region.