Project overview
The Quandamooka Land and Sea Rangers project draws on the knowledge of the Traditional Custodians, the Quandamooka People, to preserve and enhance the region’s natural and cultural assets.
The project is managed by Queensland Government's Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) with funding from DETSI and Minjerribah Futures.
Under the program, five Quandamooka people are now working as full-time Land and Sea Rangers on Minjerribah.
The Land and Sea Rangers are responsible for a range of activities including:
- weed and feral animal management
- fire management
- biodiversity surveys of local species and habitats
- cultural work including identification, management and preservation of cultural heritage sites
- supporting disaster recovery efforts
- visitor management and education
- helping manage national park areas.
The Land and Sea Rangers work with local authorities and land management organisations including:
- Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation
- Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service
- Department of Resources
- Healthy Land and Water
- other key stakeholders and community groups.
Rangers in action: Developing and improving recreation trails on Minjerribah
The Quandamooka Land and Sea Rangers project, supported by DETSI and Minjerribah Futures, employs five Quandamooka rangers to manage and protect Minjerribah's environment and cultural heritage, working collaboratively with various local authorities and organisations.
My name’s Patrick Coolwell. I'm a Queensland Parks and Wildlife ranger, working in joint management with QYAC, the Aboriginal Land Council for Stradbroke Island.
This location is Blue Lake Karboora, a sacred site to our people and a World Heritage listed area. Due to its significance, a lot of the trail maintenance here is done manually, with over 20 kilometres of track crafted by hand, which is labour-intensive.
Our team collaborates with Cultural Heritage to carefully choose the proper paths to avoid disturbing cultural heritage sites. This involves extensive walking, flag taping, and GPS mapping to plan and establish the trails. Seeing people enjoy the tracks we've created is highly rewarding for all the rangers involved in this strenuous work.
Since the closure of the mines in 2019, we’ve done significant work with QYAC. We now have about 30 rangers, all trained as full firefighters. Many of us have acquired additional certifications, such as coxswain, chainsaw, and heavy machinery operation. This initiative has significantly increased employment opportunities, particularly benefiting the youth and disadvantaged community members by providing them with a helpful boost.
For us rangers, seeing the tangible results of our labour is exceptionally gratifying. With the mines closed, new opportunities have arisen, allowing us to gain more resources and equipment necessary for our work. Creating these walking tracks and witnessing their use is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team.
Benefits
- Increase local Indigenous participation in environmental management
- Support employment of Quandamooka people
- Enhance the region’s natural and cultural assets