Most news about wetlands is negative, lost, drained, polluted. But An Australian initiative is seeing the rebirth of the Kakadu of the South at Nimmie-Caira in New South Wales. By Jeremy Torr.

March 2021, Balranald, NSW. In 2013, the Australian Federal Government bought a batch of rural farming properties between Hay and Balranald in south-east Australia, for $180 million. The objective was not to become nationalised farm managers, but to help turn back the clock from the days of industrial farm management – and potential environmental degradation.

Now, what was simply the Nimmie-Caira station area, is being transformed into a vast 88,0000 hectare wetland haven in south-western New South Wales, touted as ‘The Other Kakadu’ of the South.

Some five years after the initial acquisition, the Nari Nari Tribal Council of local indigenous people was appointed managers of the wetland, along with The Nature Conservancy environmental group. It was a momentous move for the land. “The return of Gayini (Nimmie-Caira ) to our (native title) ownership will allow us to protect our cultural heritage, and we can continue to protect the environment as well,” said Ian Woods, chairman of the Nari Nari Tribal Council.

He added that his council had already identified and recorded around 2,000 cultural sites across the designated area including burial sites, middens and camp sites, all of which are now listed as protected.

Now, with a newly reinstated flow of over 30,000 megalitres of Darling Basin water flooding back into the low-lying area, both the wetlands and the nearby Yanga Lake are springing back to life. As one of the most ambitious projects under Australia’s new Murray-Darling River Basin Plan, it is aimed at rehabilitating the 88,000 hectare site, and bringing it back to pre-drainage and irrigation status.

"This is the first time in a long time that we're seeing the river, the wetland and (Yanga) lake all linking up,” said NSW Regional Water Minister Niall Blair. “That's really going to be a key, particularly for some of the fish breeding in this area.” It is estimated that some half a million golden perch, or yellow-belly will soon colonise the reflooded flatlands.

Local environmental Water Office spokesperson Hilton Taylor noted that the new initiative was ‘an investment in the protection of one of our most important basin assets’ that will allow the region to consolidate and build on the upswing in fish breeding outcomes over recent years. The environmental plan aims to not only revitalise the waters of the Nimmie-Caira and Yanga Lake, but also to reinstate it as a significant wetland waterbird habitat.

One of the first initiatives for the region has been culling introduced feral animals that have helped upset the natural balance of the previous ecosystem. This includes feral pigs, wild deer, and feral cats that have survived in the previously part-drained areas, and decimated much of the indigenous wetland species. Next is a removal of the artificial irrigation systems that had been used to maximise farming capability at the expense of the natural wetlands topography.

"It's going to be huge,” said land manager Mark Brettschneider. “When we get the place set up tourism is going to be a really big thing. People are going to want to come and see Nimmie-Caira. They're going to want to see the Aboriginal people out here working on country and seeing the benefits and outcomes of that."

But there is still work to do. A recent study from Griffith University found in NSW, Aboriginal people collectively have rights to 0.2% of the available surface water, even though they total over 9% of the local population. This imbalance is something that the park’s plans are looking to redress – that major industrial farms have first pick on the life-giving water supply has long been a bone of contention. However, steps are being taken here too.

“This is fantastic news for the Nari Nari people,” said Woods. “It allows us to protect our cultural heritage and land, and there's opportunity for a range of employment for us in things like environment, cultural heritage - and water management too," he said.

Nature Conservancy spokesman Rich Gilmore added his organisation was ‘extremely proud’ to have helped in the official transfer of the wetlands from the government to the Nari Nari people after more than 150 years. "This land is now legally owned by the Nari Nari people, as it has been spiritually for 50,000 years," he noted.

The immediate future for Nimmie-Caira is looking good. Now the farming has stopped, the water has been allowed back and many of the feral predators are being got rid of, the whole area is blooming. Much of the region will be allowed to regain its natural state, while other specific zones will be dedicated to sustainable agriculture, including low-impact grazing and opportunistic harvesting of specialist crops.

There will also be opportunities further down the track for projects including carbon farming, sustainable education and ecotourism in the future, says Woods.

“This is a very significant thing for the Nari Nari people, who have been using traditional knowledge to sustain our country for thousands of years,” he said.

“Now, we can continue to protect environment, preserve Aboriginal heritage on the land and enable intergenerational transfer of knowledge of caring for country.”