This might look just like a man with a boat.
Photo: Felicity Forth
But it’s actually a man with a dream for his community.
Pictured is Amos Donovan, CEO of Bunyah Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) in Wauchope with a boat gifted to the local Aboriginal land councils by Port Macquarie Hastings Council.
This boat will be used for cultural fishing events and to support a proposed ranger team to undertake restoration works on the Hastings River.
However, to skipper this vessel requires a Coxswain Grade III qualification.
This is where our DPI Fisheries Aboriginal Fisheries team comes in.
They’ve been working with Aboriginal community members to get the qualifications needed to work on Sea Country.
It’s all part of their work facilitating training opportunities with communities up and down the coast.
Recently in Wauchope 12 participants completed their Senior First Aid Certificate as a requirement of the Coxswain Grade III qualification.
Already having their general boat licence, they now have only a few more steps – such as completing the required hours on the water – before these individuals become certified Coxswain Grade III licence holders.
The training was provided by Booroongen Djugun College, an Aboriginal training provider (RTO) from Kempsey and funded via the NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy, Initiative 4.
Touch base with their Cultural Economic Development webpage or the NSW Sea Country Marine Estate YouTube playlist to find out more about similar training opportunities for your community to gain the skills to work and develop businesses on Sea Country.
