Project update - Hazards, culture and Indigenous communities

This is the October 2017 newsletter from the Hazards, culture and Indigenous communities project, with updates for project end-users.

Team recruitment: In July, we appointed Annick Thomassin as a Research Associate at Western Sydney University to co-author a literature review examining existing collaborations between Indigenous peoples and natural hazards agencies in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. This literature review is progressing well and will be completed by the end of the year.

Case studies update: In the lead up to the project’s commencement, Tim Neale and Jessica Weir met with traditional owners in various locations across southern Australia. A Victorian case study has been supported by Dja Dja Wurrung, and a case study in the Australian Capital Territory / New South Wales is being negotiated with the assistance of the Murumbung Rangers, ACT Parks and Conservation. Both Jess and Tim have made periodic trips to the case study regions and held meetings to progress methods and logistics. At the beginning of October, Tim began conducting interviews and meetings for the Loddon-Mallee/Goldfields region case study, as part of completing the first round of data collection with Dja Dja Wurrrung CAC, DELWP, Parks Victoria and others.

Presentations and posters: It has been a busy time for presentations and posters at industry, academic, and community events. Highlights include the CRC Showcase and the annual conference co-hosted with AFAC, where the research team co-presented and co-authored with their end-users. Each event has provided an opportunity to gain feedback on the research, and continue to build relationships for research and its utilisation. 

Presentations:

• Neale, T and JK Weir, (2017), ‘Hazards, Culture and Indigenous Communities’, Lightening Presentation, Showcase 2017 – Research Driving Change, Adelaide, 4-5 July.
• Neale, T (2017), ‘Finding collaboration with hazards practitioners’, The Participatory Environmental Humanities, workshop, UNSW, Queen’s University and Arizona State University, Sydney, 18-19 July.
• Freeman, D (presenter) with Williamson, B and J Weir (panel), (2017) ‘Summary Aboriginal Cultural Burns in the ACT 2015/2016’, ‘Bushfire Management – Balancing the risks’, ACT Conservation Council symposium, Canberra, 21-22 July.
• Neale, T (2017), ‘Hazards, Culture and Indigenous communities’, Seminar, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, 24 August.
• Freeman, D, Taylor-Grant, J, Leavesley, A, Weir, JK, Neale, T, Babington, K and N Cooper (2017), Bringing Aboriginal knowledge into agency programs in southern Australia, Presentation, AFAC17 conference, 5-8 September, Sydney, NSW.
• Costello, O (2017). Engaging Aboriginal Communities in Cultural Burning on NPWS managed lands in NSW, Presentation, AFAC/BNHCRC conference, 5-8 September, Sydney, NSW.

Posters:

• Weir, J.K, Neale, T, Carter, R, Cook, B, Costello, O, Curry, S, Dore, J, Freeman, D, Gooding, O, Gunning, S, Leavesley, A, Mackintosh, L, McGee, T, Nugent, D, Russell-Smith, J, Schauble, J, and K White, 2017, ‘Hazards, Culture, and Aboriginal peoples in Southern Australia’, Poster, CRC Showcase 2017 – Research Driving Change, Adelaide, 4-5 July, and, AFAC17 conference, Sydney, NSW
• Freeman, D and JK Weir, (2017) ‘Cultural burning – join us for a fireside chat in chilly Canberra’, Poster, AFAC17 conference, 5-8 September, Sydney, NSW.