1. Land and sea natural and cultural protection

Lockhart River Aboriginal Community is a remote community on the east coast of Cape York in far north Queensland. During the wet season floods close the major land transport routes. The area is bounded by rainforest, low mountain ranges and the mangrove-protected estuaries. Weed invasions and feral pests are contributing to the decline of the region's unique flora and fauna. Through its Working on Country contract, the Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council will employ Indigenous people to address problems associated with weeds and feral pests. Activities will include mapping weed infestations; implementing spraying programs; revegetating affected areas; and planning and implementing feral pest control programs.

1. Gidarjil Working on Country

The Granite Creek area near Bundaberg in Queensland is the ancestral home of the Gurang clan. Part of the area is listed on the Directory of Important Wetlands for Australia. The area also has a history of timber harvesting and cattle grazing and the Traditional Owners through Gidarjil Development Corporation are planning to shift away from agricultural and forestry activities in the area towards restoration and protection of natural habitats and cultural heritage. Through the Working on Country contract, the Corporation will employ Indigenous people to undertake environmental activities in the target area. These activities will include: eradicating weeds and pests and specifically targeting the wetland; testing and improving water quality; recovering an endangered eucalypt ecosystem; re-establishing and expanding a protection corridor between two national parks; and setting up a traditional knowledge database.

2a. Southern Gulf Fire and Weed project on Gangalidda country

Nationally significant weeds such as rubber vine and calotrope have been wreaking havoc on biodiversity in parts of the Gulf of Carpentaria including the Gangalidda coastline in the southern Gulf. There, weeds have become so thick that native trees and grasses cannot rejuvenate and Traditional Owners have been unable to walk through weed-choked coastal areas to perform traditional hunting and food gathering. Under a Working on Country contract, the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation will employ Indigenous people as rangers to implement a weed and pest management plan. Activities will include mosaic fire burning to help contain seed spread, chemical control to tackle specific plants without contaminating water wells, and collection of information for GIS mapping systems.

2b. Southern Gulf Fire and Weed project for Wellesley Islands

The environmental stability of the Wellesley Islands in the Southern Gulf of Carpentaria is at risk from nationally significant weeds including rubber vine and calotrope. These introduced species are strangling native trees and wiping out vast areas of vegetation which in turn affects the habitats of wallabies, Gouldian finches and the nesting sites of marine turtles. Through its Working on Country contract, the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation will employ Indigenous people to fight these weeds through traditional fire burning techniques and contemporary methods. Activities will also include collecting information for GIS mapping systems.

3. Supporting sustainable incomes and environment for Kowanyama Aboriginal lands

Kowanyama, on the west coast of Cape York Peninsula, is located on the Mitchell River. The area boasts Wetlands of National Significance, a number of threatened species and areas of cultural significance. However, the area also suffers from weeds of national significance and areas of threatened habitat and ecology. The Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council administers the area and will use funding from its Working on Country contract to employ Indigenous rangers and a coordinator to protect the ecological and cultural assets of the area and to tackle environmental problems. Activities will include weed and feral animal eradication, wetland and waterway monitoring and protection, monitoring of threatened species and re-establishment of habitat, mapping cultural sites, managing access trails in sensitive areas, and managing visitation.

4. Kaanju Ngaachi Wenlock and Pascoe Rivers Working on Country Project

The Wenlock and Pascoe Rivers on Cape York Peninsula are home or "Ngaachi" to the Kaanju people. The region features open savanna, upland tropical and sub-tropical rainforests, open bushland, sand ridge country and vast wetland areas and riparian forests that are nationally important. The region faces a number of challenges including land degradation and erosion, weed and feral animal infestation and damage to cultural areas from unregulated public access. The Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation which manages the area has developed a management plan to deal with these challenges. Using its Working on Country contract, the Corporation will employ Indigenous people to undertake activities that include: maintenance of designated camping areas; fencing off sensitive areas to protect them from feral pigs, horses and cattle; monitoring, mapping and reducing feral pig numbers; rehabilitating 15,000 hectares currently over-run by weeds; and conducting fire management and establishing fire breaks.

5. Implementing land and sea management initiatives on Mabuiag, Torres Strait

The granite Mabuiag Island in the Torres Strait is a remnant of the chain of islands forming part of the Great Dividing Range. Rich seagrass beds and offshore reefs surround Mabuiag and are a significant habitat for dugongs and green turtles, both of which are protected species. Many areas of Mabuiag are still in pristine condition with traditional sites relatively intact. With the benefits of a Working on Country contract, the Mabuiag Island Council will employ Indigenous people to provide a range of environmental services. Among their activities will be mapping weed and feral animal distribution, mapping and managing heritage sites, monitoring and removing "ghost" nets which have been lost at sea, and monitoring and managing turtles and dugongs and their habitats.