Words and photo Robyn May

Cape York NRM welcomes the Queensland Government and Cook Shire Council’s investment in Gateway to the Cape—a travellers’ rest stop and information centre in Lakeland Downs.

Gateway to the Cape Project Manager Waratah Nicholls said the $1.2 m investment in the initiative was welcome news for the community.

Words Director Emma Jackson

It’s been a full program for the Board and staff in the first half of the year, with loads more to come over the ensuing months.

The teams have kicked off the dry season hard, continuing with projects from soil to gully remediation, from fire to water, and weeds to pests. Updates on many of the successes and challenges are in the newsletter, but what about the Directors? What have we been up to behind the scenes?

Welcome to the latest edition of the Healthy Country Newsletter. In this edition we continue to highlight some of the projects being supported by Cape York NRM and our partners and hopefully this provides some positive news in these trying times.

Cape York is one of the only places in the country that is able to isolate as a region. While this is a valuable situation for our residents, it brings with it many challenges for our teams to continue to deliver on projects.

Crisis brings creativity, and our team is working hard to service the Cape through NRM activities as much as possible, without physically getting out and about.

We’re back on track for 4–6 September 2020 at Mount Carbine

This is a fantastic event for rural and remote women, so update your calendar. Women from both the Northern Gulf RMG and Cape York NRM regions are invited to come along. Loads of updated and new info to share during the days’ workshops, and great fun to be had at night—particularly the cocktail hour on the first night!

Head over to Northern Gulf’s Events page on Facebook to book your place @northerngulf 

Event information

Normanby Station’s Vince and Cliff Harrigan recently visited 12 primary schools in Victoria to share information about culture, country and life in Far North Queensland. The ‘classroom connections’, organised by Aboriginal cultural tour company Culture Connect, occurred over two weeks in March across Melbourne schools, and gave Victorian kids a rare opportunity to learn about Aboriginal culture and the unique features and history of the Balnggarrawarra homelands on Cape York.

Have we returned to normality? Not sure we know what ‘normal’ looks like, but what we do know is that our project delivery teams can get out and about a little more now to work with the broader Cape York community.

Directors met mid-June via teleconference and have caught up via video link a few times to make sure that the organisation continues to progress, despite the fact that some on ground delivery was late starting.

Has it been a soggy start to 2021 for most across Cape York Peninsula? It is wonderful to see so much of the landscape come alive early on in the year, and it is certainly flourishing. March flies, mozzies and flying ants are out in force making sure we all know that the rainy season has embraced us.

Following quite a short-lived wet season for three quarters of our region in 2020, I am sure the consistent rainfall is welcomed by those who are receiving it.

Those living and working on the land, with so much rainfall unfortunately comes the erosion, washouts and damage.