Fencing begins at sacred lagoon

Protection of the Muwanta lagoon at Binthi Warra is about to get underway, with construction of a 2km pig-proof fence to contain a 50 hectare area including a steep riverbank.

The project has been facilitated by Cape York Natural Resource Management in partnership with the Binthi Land Holding Group Aboriginal Corporation (BLHGAC).

“It’s a stunning site, but you can see it has been heavily impacted by pigs,” Cape York NRM’s  Coastal Ecosystems Coordinator David Preece said. “But it should recover well, particularly after the wet season. We will start to see some change then.” 

Dave said the fencing materials and site preparation is funded by the Australian Government and facilitated by Cape York NRM.

“We’ll also be setting up a photographic history from set points around the waterway over time to gauge recovery.”

All the fencing will be carried out through equal representation of the three families that make up the BLHGAC and should be complete before the start of the wet season.  

According to spokeswoman Ramona McIver this was an important part of the mentoring program as the majority of the Binthi Warra are descendants of tradesmen and cattlemen who prided themselves on their fencing skills and want to pass on their knowledge.

The Muwanta-Walnga Lagoon, found at the junction of the McIvor and Morgan Rivers, is the tharma for the Binthi Warra people - a “place of bounty”, teeming with birds, ducks and geese and surrounded by rainforests, fisheries, woodlands, swamps and mangroves.

It is also the traditional site for ‘marriage ceremonies’ between the White Cockatoo (Waandarr) and Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Ngurraarr) clans within the Guugu Yimithirr Nation.

“This project is relevant to our cultural, economic, environmental and social aspirations for land management and protection of our Traditional lands on Binthi Country,” Ramona said earlier this year.

“The fencing and protection of the Muwanta is part of a broader plan by BLHGAC to preserve sacred country, and build opportunities for the Binthi community.

The Binthi Project is funded through the Federal Government’s Reef Trust 7 Program.