Wheatbelt NRM has a long history of building relationships with the Noongar community of the Wheatbelt.

The Noongar Elders Advisory Group is made up of 10 members who come from all areas of the Wheatbelt and represent many of our Noongar families.

The Elders advise Wheatbelt NRM as part of the planning processes for our work and help to maximise opportunities and participation for the aboriginal community.

The Elders Group also ensures that all our work is conducted with cultural competency.

Priorities of the group include increasing opportunities for the community to work on country and they are especially interested in increasing employment options in NRM.

Wheatbelt NRM also supports an aboriginal school based trainee who is undertaking vocational training as part of senior schooling.

Areas of interest for the Aboriginal NRM program include establishing bush tucker enterprises, ensuring sites of cultural and environmental significance are recognised and protected and sharing the rich cultural history of this region with the wider community.

The Aboriginal NRM program is designed to build capacity in the regional Noongar Aboriginal community to engage in natural resource management. This is achieved in various ways, including the identification and management of culturally and ecologically significant sites in the region, and promotion of community stories about Country on the Mooditj Boodjar website.

The Wheatbelt NRM Aboriginal Elders Advisory Group provides guidance and advice to Wheatbelt NRM’s natural resource management initiatives in the region, particularly for places of cultural importance to the Noongar community.