Alistair Dermer Manager

Dja Dja Wurrung - "Doing things the right way"

Dja Dja Wurrung Country, from central Victoria, are implementing their Rivers and Waterways program as identified in their Healthy Country Plan, Djelkunya Dja.

To achieve the diverse goals set by community, Dja Dja Wurrung have embarked on five water projects, each with individual project officers. 

The projects range from:

• Water related policy development
• In-stream sediment management and cultural healing of water, including frog ponds
• Landscape restoration through appropriate water allocations and eco-system restoration
• Economic stability through aquaculture or other means
• Water ways assessments, with a strong focus on cultural values and knowledge

Water is a shared resource, and as such each project involves many government and some non-government partners.

For all partners to work well together, the ‘Collective Impact’ model is being applied, with the initial focus being on a shared agenda.

Conservation Management is supporting Dja Dja Wurrung through this establishment and implementation of each project by:

• Facilitating workshops with Dja Dja Wurrung water and policy Project Officers, their leadership team Kapa Gatjin, and many State and local government partners
• Providing mentoring support to each project officer as the projects apply the open standards and align with the decision making and related governance structures

This is an exciting project to be involved with, and the main focus is about “doing things the right way” and all parties “being brave”.

The right way is the community way, the honest way, the cultural way and for all to do this they need to trust and be brave. 

Dja Dja Wurrung continue to show maturity and leadership in all they do.

Shane (DDW Project Officer) discussing the Wanyarram Dhelk water project

Project Officers, Manager and Partners all working together on the Water Policy project.

Project Officers workshopping and making the most of the weather

Working with the leadership team – Kapa Gatjin

Caitlin outlining how the Country Plan, Water Plan, projects and related Victorian water management plans align