Barapa Land & Water

Barapa Land & Water is a 100% Aboriginal-owned, not-for-profit enterprise dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage and sustainable management of land and water across Barapa Barapa Country, which includes the Gannawarra and Loddon Shire areas in Victoria. The organisation focuses on integrating traditional Aboriginal knowledge with contemporary environmental practices to care for the land, waterways, plants, and animals that have sustained the Barapa Barapa people for over 60,000 years.

Mission and Vision

The mission of Barapa Land & Water is to establish a strong foundation that supports cultural preservation while fostering employment, training, and education opportunities for the Barapa Barapa community. Their vision is centred on preserving culture, empowering community, and restoring country by increasing cultural connection to land and water, promoting community wellbeing, advancing self-determination, and ensuring the continuation of cultural heritage through sustainable land and water management.

Main Objectives

• Protect and preserve Aboriginal cultural heritage through identification, assessment, and management of significant sites.
• Reintroduce and promote cultural burning practices to heal the land, reduce wildfire risks, and encourage native vegetation growth.
• Restore and enhance biodiversity by controlling invasive pests and weeds, and implementing regeneration projects with native species.
• Collaborate with government, private land managers, and neighbouring Traditional Owner groups to sustainably manage land and water resources.
• Empower the Barapa Barapa community through employment, training, and education in land and water management.

Benefiting Groups

• The Barapa Barapa community, through cultural reconnection, skills development, and economic participation.
• Traditional Owners and neighbouring Aboriginal groups who share custodianship of the land and waterways.
• Public and private land managers including government agencies, local shires, and private landowners.
• The environment and biodiversity of Barapa Barapa Country, benefiting from sustainable land and water management practices.

Types of Services and Activities

• Aboriginal cultural heritage services including site identification, cultural heritage management plans, and preservation efforts.
• Cultural burning programs that apply traditional fire management to protect ecosystems and prepare for fire seasons.
• Land and water management activities such as pest and weed control, habitat protection, and ecological restoration.
• Revegetation and regeneration projects planting native species to improve land quality and support native wildlife habitats.
• Environmental and cultural assessments to guide sustainable planning and implementation of land management strategies.
• Community engagement and training to build capacity and reconnect people with their cultural heritage and country.