Traditional Owner-led burn promotes restoration

Traditional Owners planned and implemented the burn in Ryans Lagoon, located about 20 minutes from Wodonga, in April this year, with support from Country Fire Authority and Forest Fire Management Victoria crews. 

Working alongside the Duduroa Dhargal Aboriginal Corporation (DDAC), the aim of the burn was to regenerate the area as well as have an impact on reducing fuel load. 

“Burns like this are important for several reasons,” said Daniel Idczak, CFA Vegetation Management Team Leader. 

“There’s cultural significance, they have ecological benefits and promote regeneration, there’s a spiritual element, and most importantly it allows our Traditional Owners to get back on Country and connect to Country through fire.” 

Daniel said being guided by DDAC and Traditional Owners was of utmost importance for CFA and Forest Fire Management Victoria crews. 

“We had many meetings with the Traditional Owners of the area and learnt about where they wanted to burn and what they wanted to achieve from undertaking the burn. 

“Cultural fire is led by Traditional Owners – not us – so as facilitators we were there to support and be guided by them.” 

Working with First Nations groups across Victoria to assist in the facilitation of cultural burns is part of the Victorian Traditional Owner Cultural Fire Strategy, a joint strategy in which CFA joins DEECA, the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations and Parks Victoria to ensure First Nations voices are amplified and their knowledge is used to maximum benefit when it comes to fuel reduction and regeneration across the state. 

Daniel said we can learn a lot from Traditional Owners about fire, culturally and historically a sacred resource for many Indigenous groups throughout the world over. 

“Working with Traditional Owners in this space means we can learn more about all the different ways fire can be applied, not just fuel or risk reduction, but also the ecological and spiritual aspects of fire as well. We learn from them as they reintroduce fire back into our practices – working towards them leading and doing fuel reduction objectives into the future.” 

“It's all about learning from them and enabling them to feel empowered by getting back on Country through the use of fire."