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Community connection, storytelling and listening are at the heart of an important strategy developed by the Shire of Augusta Margaret River in collaboration with local cultural group, the Undalup Association.
The Jenna Yen Mandamung (Walking Together) Strategy 2023 to 2028 is ensuring open and honest consultation with the local Aboriginal community, recognising their ancient and continued kaatajin (knowledge), nurturing and protection of Country and culture.
Importantly, the strategy is providing opportunities for the Wadandi People to listen, yarn and walk together with the entire community.
The Shire of Augusta Margaret River is situated on Wadandi and Pibelmen Boodja (land), where the ancestors and descendants serve as Cultural Custodians. Wooditup Bilya (Margaret River) is the heart of this land, a meeting point between land and sea, stretching from Bunbury to Yallingup and inland to Nannup, with significant spiritual importance for the Wadandi People.
Although the region has a small Aboriginal population of 1.4% with few Cultural Custodians and Elders, those who live here are dedicated to protecting their culture and heritage.
The Shire shares this dedication, and recently recognised the need to develop a mutually beneficial and formalised process for Aboriginal community consultation.
The Jenna Yen Mandamung Strategy was informed by consultation with local Wadandi and Pibelmen Cultural Custodians via the Undalup Association which helped to develop engagement procedures that cover the following areas:
From major projects such as Healthy Country Planning and dual naming work to engagement on minor projects, the strategy is helping to develop stronger relationships and a shared understanding of cultural obligations.
As part of the strategy, the Shire and the Undalup Association meet quarterly to discuss a broad range of activities that require input from the Cultural Custodians. These meetings have also facilitated cultural awareness training for Shire staff and provide an opportunity to organise community celebrations to strengthen a broader appreciation of the region’s rich cultural heritage.
Building trust and facilitating honest, respectful dialogue between Cultural Custodians and the Shire was a key consideration in developing the strategy. Consultation can take many forms, and the Wadandi community, like other communities across Australia, has a history marked by loss of cultural connection and socio-economic challenges. Therefore, it was important to respect the unique cultural considerations that affected how and when they were able to share their perspectives and provide input on the strategy.
