Aboriginal community governance in the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires

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The bushfire season of 2019-20, commonly referred to as the ‘Black Summer’ bushfires, stands as a significant natural disaster in Australian history. Its scale and intensity had far-reaching consequences and left a lasting impact on both the environment and communities across the country. Fire-affected areas saw high numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including residents, families, discrete communities and traditional owners, endure personal losses and suffer deep distress from damage to Country. Additional challenges arose from mainstream relief and recovery services, which neglected to address the specific needs of local communities, failed to collect accurate Indigenous data, lacked cultural safety and did not protect cultural heritage.¹

These experiences are not unique to this disaster. Bhiamie Williamson highlights the absence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in disaster planning more broadly, arguing for an urgent need to acknowledge, include and properly fund Indigenous community governing institutions to complete the work they do in times of disaster.² The Black Summer fires saw tremendous Aboriginal strength and resilience.³ Communities and their organisations took local control and assumed leadership responsibilities, using their cultural expertise, resources and governance capabilities to meet the needs of community and Country. Aboriginal community organisations were an asset during the Black Summer bushfires. While not always included in formal disaster responses, they proved to be a valuable resource, holding critical information on local populations and maintaining the trust and familiarity with Indigenous communities that mainstream services lacked. Organisations like Waminda, a South Coast Women’s Health and Welfare Aboriginal Corporation, exercised their governing powers to provide vital assistance. Drawing on their own financial resources and operating beyond their designated service areas, they were able to reach and assist communities in need:⁴

To support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the area affected by the bushfires, Waminda purchased and supplied emergency items such as torches, batteries, portable stoves, gas cylinders, sleeping bags, eskies, sanitary items, wipes, nappies, fresh food, petrol and water. These supplies were purchased by Waminda by re-directing existing funding, no additional funding was allocated. Waminda also provided support to Aboriginal communities on the coast which do not fall in their usual area of service. ⁵

Traditional owner groups exercised their cultural authority and harnessed traditional systems of knowledge on Country to support emergency services in the suppression of fire and care for Country and cultural heritage.⁶ In East Gippsland, Victoria, the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) secured the protection of more than 100 cultural heritage sites. This was made possible by their previous relationship-building and integration efforts with emergency management staff, as well as the training of Gunaikurnai rangers in fire awareness.⁷ In Central Victoria, Uncle Denis Rose, a Gunditjmara Elder, contributed to fires being officially declared under control on December 31, 2019. His expertise was key in the design of a fire containment strategy in collaboration with Victoria’s Department of Environment, Land and Water Planning (DELWP), Country Fire Authority (CFA) and other emergency management agencies.⁸ The protection of stone arrangements such as fish and eel traps and stone houses was prioritised in this strategy.⁹