Yurruungga Aboriginal Corporation is welcoming a landmark court decision that directs $450,000 from Forestry Corporation NSW into Gumbaynggirr-led healing and restoration at Wild Cattle Creek, supporting ceremony, biocultural repair and the Gumbaynggirr Guardians ranger program so our people can continue caring for Budaabang Gumbaynggirr Wajaarr in the right way.
A recent court decision has delivered a powerful and positive outcome for Yurruungga Aboriginal Corporation and Gumbaynggirr Country. The NSW Land and Environment Court found that Forestry Corporation NSW had illegally logged culturally and environmentally significant trees at Wild Cattle Creek State Forest, an area of deep importance to Gumbaynggirr people. As part of the sentence, the court directed $450,000 to Yurruungga to be used for Gumbaynggirr-led healing and restoration work on Country.
This outcome is good news because it does more than punish wrongdoing – it invests in repair. The funds will support ceremony and cultural healing on Country, recognising that the damage was not only ecological but also spiritual and cultural for Gumbaynggirr people. It will help resource biocultural restoration, including caring for Country in ways guided by Gumbaynggirr knowledge, values and law. Importantly, the decision also backs the development of the Gumbaynggirr Guardians ranger program, creating opportunities for Gumbaynggirr people to be on Country, protecting important places and passing knowledge to the next generation.
For Yurruungga, this is a strong affirmation that our mob has a right to lead the response when harm is done to our lands and waters. It shows courts and government can work with Traditional Owners in a way that centres cultural authority and long-term care, rather than just issuing fines that disappear into general revenue. It also sends a clear message that forests like Wild Cattle Creek are not just timber resources – they are living cultural landscapes that must be respected.
Most importantly, the decision opens a new chapter focused on healing, not just conflict. It gives Gumbaynggirr people practical support to continue caring for Budaabang Gumbaynggirr Wajaarr in the right way: through ceremony, restoration, cultural fire, and the daily work of Guardians on Country..
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