Working together to care for Country

A partnership built on Country, culture and shared responsibility

The Northern and Yorke Landscape Board is committed to working with the First Nations of the Northern and Yorke region to support healthy landscapes, communities and Country.

The Northern and Yorke region includes the traditional lands of five First Nations: Kaurna, Narungga, Ngadjuri, Nukunu, and Peramangk. Each Nation identifies with its own Country, culture, history, knowledge, language, traditions and connection to land and waters.

We recognises the important relationship between Aboriginal culture and natural resources and supports Traditional Custodians, and the broader Aboriginal community and organisations to participate in the management of land, seas and waters.

Our approach recognises First Nations knowledge, priorities and aspirations as an important part of planning and delivering landscape management across Northern and Yorke.

What does ‘Caring for Country’ mean?

For Aboriginal people, Country is much more than a place or piece of land. It encompasses relationships between people, land, waters, culture and community.

Aboriginal people’s oral histories and creation stories connect lands and waters with complex meanings and values. First Nations people also hold rights and obligations to care for Country.

Traditional knowledge and cultural practices can contribute important perspectives to the management of land, water and biodiversity.

The Northern and Yorke Landscape Board supports opportunities to bring First Nations knowledge and contemporary land management together respectfully to improve outcomes for Country.

The Five Nations Landscape Committee

The Five Nations Landscape Committee provides an important mechanism for strengthening the relationship between the NYLB and the region’s five First Nations.

The committee includes representatives from Kaurna, Narungga, Ngadjuri, Nukunu, and Peramangk. It meets four times a year, with meetings held on Country. These meetings provide opportunities to see the landscape through First Nations perspectives and share knowledge about caring for Country.

The committee helps identify landscape priorities and opportunities to share knowledge and work together.

Healthy Country Planning

Healthy Country Planning is a process designed for First Nations communities to identify what they would like to see happen on Country and establish priorities for keeping Country and culture healthy.

Plans can identify priorities including cultural sites, native vegetation, water courses, native species, enterprise opportunities and spending time on Country. It is supported by an Action Plan to implement or carry out tasks to achieve these objectives and projects.

The Northern and Yorke Landscape Board supports Healthy Country Planning for First Nations in the region by coordinating and funding activities to create Healthy Country Plans, in collaboration with Traditional Custodians and independent subject matter experts who facilitate the process and planning sessions.

Healthy Country Plans can provide a foundation for identifying projects and opportunities that reflect community priorities.