Use of Indigenous cultural burning in Tamworth region to be studied thanks to federal grant

The Tamworth Local Aboriginal Land Council has been granted $111,422 from the federal taxpayer to study the use of the technique in the New England North West.

New England MP Barnaby Joyce, who made the announcement on Tuesday, said the knowledge would help the region better prepare for future bushfires.

The program would "increase the understanding of local landscapes, flora and fauna and interactions with cultural burning, and better understand different types of cultural burns," he said.

"A fire and seasons calendar will also be developed for the three communities of Tamworth, Gunnedah and Walhallow, along with improved connection to country and intergenerational teaching opportunities within the community.

"This will be achieved by holding three Indigenous-led workshops incorporating cultural burning education and on-site demonstrations on different areas of land at each of the three communities."

The Gamilaroi cultural burning network project is set to be a collaboration between Indigenous and conventional land and fire managers in the Tamworth area, he said.

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Minister for environment Sussan Ley said understanding the effect cold burning has on local flora and fauna is an important part of land and fire management.

"Traditional owner groups will hold workshops across the country sharing their knowledge with local land managers, local fire services and councils to identify different types of burns and the ideal weather conditions for protecting native flora and fauna during burns," she said.

The projects are to be completed by April, 2022.

Cultural burning is just one in a set of land management practices Indigenous Australians have used for about 65,000 years to manage Australia's flammable landscape and protect sites of significance, among other goals.

The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements recommended more conventional firefighting agencies engage with Indigenous people to explore use of the practice.

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