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Issue 34: October 2010
Welcome to the October edition of Catchment News, the newsletter of the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority (CMA). To subscribe to Catchment News or make changes to your subscription details please send an email to hcr@cma.nsw.gov.au.
What's happening around the catchments?
 Recognising the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage of the Hunter Estuary Wetlands
On 14 September, the launch of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Plan for the Burralinban Estuary Wetlands was celebrated at the Wetlands Centre at Shortland. 'Burralinban' is the traditional language name for the Hunter Estuary. The plan, which has been developed in partnership with the CMA, identifies opportunities for greater involvement and input from people from the Awabakal and Worimi communities in the management and understanding of Hexham Swamp and Kooragang Wetlands, which are both wetlands that hold significant cultural heritage for both Aboriginal communities.
Cheryl Kitchener, CEO of the Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council, says developing the management plan has been a really important step forward in recognising the contribution of knowledge and understanding that local Aboriginal people can provide on these areas. Ms Kitchener said 'the management plan is based on the oral histories and memories of our elders; this is the most important thing, and these are histories that have never really been documented before'.
For thousands of years the various clans of the Worimi and Awabakal peoples thrived on the abundant fish, shellfish, water birds and other animals found around the many islands of the Hunter River estuary. Coastal rainforest flourished in non-tidal areas of the islands, providing fruit, nectar, seeds, and nuts, while shoots and tubers from wetland plants such as cumbungi provided the starch required for a traditional diet. Thousands of artefacts have been found in various parts of the estuary, and there is substantial archaeological evidence that Aboriginal people lived in and around the Hunter River estuary on an almost permanent basis, because of the abundant and diverse resources available to them.
The plan was officially launched by Worimi Elder Carol Ridgeway-Bissett in front of an audience, including the members of the CMA's Aboriginal Cultural & Environmental Network and the Kooragang Wetlands and Hexham Swamp Rehabilitation Projects Steering Committee. Kath Schilling, from the Cultural Heritage Division of Department of Environment Climate Change and Water also spoke on the importance of involving local Aboriginal communities in implementing actions from the plan. Some of the actions have already been undertaken, including revegetation works in Hexham Swamp.
If you would like a copy of the Plan, please contact the Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council on 4965 4532.
 Reinforcements for the Williams
Work is currently underway to combat riverbank erosion on a section of the Williams River near Seaham as part of a partnership between the CMA, Port Stephens Council and Industry & Investment NSW.
In recent years Port Stephens Council has collected data from 14 survey points along the Williams River between Seaham and Raymond Terrace, in areas where wake boarding occurs and in exclusion zones, and the results to
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