A campaign to aid the recovery of Aboriginal communities in Far North Queensland after record-breaking flooding has raised close to $30,000.
The Wet Tropics is no stranger to rain, but the torrential downpours ex-Cyclone Jasper brought to Far North Queensland in the week before Christmas 2023 were unprecedented.
The situation quickly became an emergency, causing record-breaking flooding.
In the region, hundreds of people in the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal and surrounding areas were evacuated by helicopter due to major flooding which cut them off from the rest of the world. Many lost everything.
Flooding devastated the community of Wujal Wujal in the Daintree.
In an effort to assist their recovery, we launched a crowdfunding campaign alongside the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation to Support the Aboriginal families of Wujal Wujal, and hundreds of you responded.
I'm so pleased to share that a total of $29,389 has been raised for the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, to aid the recovery of Wujal Wujal and surrounding communities.
As soon as donations started arriving in late December, we got funds moving and sent the first $2,500 to the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation. Then in January and February we provided the additional funds to the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation. This money has been used directly in affected communities, resulting in greater people-power, resources and tools to assist with the huge clean-up.
To everyone who donated, thank you. Your support has gone a long way to helping the recovery of these communities.
A personal thank you from the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation:
Gondwana Rainforest Trust has a long-standing partnership with the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, the registered Cultural Heritage Body for Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bama (people).
First Nations people are very clear in what they want and what they need. They want their Elders to be respected. They want communications protocols to be followed, and they want to own and manage their land.
We are listening first and then responding.
Through our Save the Daintree program, we have worked with Jabalbina to identify and purchase freehold land in the globally significant Daintree Lowland Rainforest and return it to the Kuku Yalanji people to own and manage.
Over the past 4 years, we have purchased and protected 29 rainforest properties at risk of rural development in the Daintree.
We're working to protect the Daintree, and return it to its Traditional Owners.
Many of these properties are now in the process of being assessed for inclusion in the Daintree National Park (CYPAL), where they will be jointly managed by the Jabalbina Rangers and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
Our latest buyback project is the purchase and restoration of Lot 204 Cedar Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. We've created a separate Chuffed campaign to Save Lot 204, which you'll find here.
Thanks once again for proving we are #StrongerTogether. Side by side, we are working for a better future for all.
Kelvin Davies
Founder
