A collaboration involving Responsible Wood certificate holders PF Olsen and Wespine Industries has partnered with the Leschenault Catchment Council (LCC) south of Perth to further expand a project focused on safety management and training in land care-specific skills. Source: Timberbiz
The council, governed by volunteer membership, started the project – Danju: Jobs Together – to provide employment opportunities for the Noongar People. Landcare services such as fencing and weed management, planting, fauna monitoring and native seed collection are provided through a partnership with existing Aboriginal-owned companies.
Responsible Wood sustainability manager Matt de Jongh, who recently visited community groups in Western Australia, said the partnership benefited from the strong connection of Traditional Owners to the region and the application of local traditional knowledge to contemporary land management in the catchment.
“Two-way interaction includes training and administration support from LCC and advice from Noongar elders when planning activities to ensure cultural safety, extending expertise in Aboriginal mentoring and employment to the Danju project,” Mr de Jongh said.
With support from the South West Development Commission via the Collie Futures Small Grants Program in 2019, the Danju Project was given a funding injection to allow for the development of a formal business plan, including governance frameworks, allowing the Danju to grow its business offering to a broader market.
The Danju project partnership, includes Mallee Mungart (director, Phil Collard, based in Perth); Indigenous Workabout (director, Dean Wynne, based in Collie); Woolkabunning Kiaka Aboriginal Corporation/Roelands Village Academy (director, Les Wallam); and Harvey Aboriginal Corporation (director, Lesley Ugle).
The Leschenault Catchment Council Inc. is governed by a volunteer membership formed in 2000 through the amalgamation of two community-led natural resource management groups – the Leschenault Inlet Management Authority and the Leschenault Catchment Coordinating Group. The Danju partnership has received widespread support from local MP’s, shires, government agencies, landholders and the broader community.
Responsible Wood is the national governing body for PEFC in Australia, which has a goal to champion the sustainable management of the world’s forests – a goal it seeks to reach through the promotion of forest certification.
