Tenterfied will see some practical application of indigenous cultural burning practices when Tenterfield Park in Derby Street goes under the match next week, weather permitting.
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Tenterfield Shire Council is investing $20,000 from bushfire grant funding for the exercise, engaging Banbai rangers from Guyra to carry out the fuel-reduction burn and to educate locals on the process.
The rangers are working in conjunction with Sam Des Forges of Tamworth Local Aboriginal Lands Council and Helen Duroux from Moombahlene Local Aboriginal Lands Council. They've trained under Traditional Burning Man Victor Stefferson, who held a workshop in Tenterfield last November after cultural burns were identified as a solution to the devastating bush fires which wrecked chunks of the shire last year.
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The technique involves so-called mosaic burning with only sections on fire at any one time. The park's walking tracks will be used as mosaic piece boundaries, with no burns east of the internal fence due to the fuel overload there.
The burn will proceed from next Monday, August 24 with the first day allocated to participants from the local indigenous community.
"This will be great role models for our kids, this mob of young guys," Ms Duroux said.
Banbai rangers along with representatives from the two land councils did an inspection of Tenterfield Park last Wednesday in preparation for the burn. Last October's fires on the south of town missed the park and there's a good build-up of fuel.
The group mapped out the area to be burned, identifying habitat assets to avoid like hollow-bearing trees, threatened species, bird boxes and bush food locations.
While this in Banbai's first collaboration with Tenterfield Shire Council, rangers have been involved in burns as far north as Weipa, south to Nowra and closer to home at Tingha and Guyra, generally at the behest of the local council and local aboriginal land council.
Ranger supervisor Tremane Patterson said the park holds plenty of fuel, consisting mostly of exotic grasses which would be best eradicated. It will be a controlled burn so that it doesn't escape into the tree canopy.
"We'll leave country for animals to escape to," Mr Patterson said.
Banbai will also return after the burn to gauge what vegetation is reproducing.
"Fire gives them the jump they need to push through dense scrub," Mr Patterson said.
Banbai will be working alongside fire and RFS crews on the project but spectators are allowed. Numbers will be strictly limited, however, to adhere to the event's COVID plan.
Anyone interested needs to call Mr Des Forges on 0448 654 080 or Ms Duroux on 0428 276 843 to secure their place.
