Northern Native Seed Grants boost Aboriginal businesses

By PETER ROWE

Six Aboriginal enterprises will share in $2.1 million funding to support the production of native seed for land restoration and rehabilitation across regional Western Australia.

The Northern Native Seed Industry Development Initiative (NNSIDI) grants will assist Aboriginal enterprises to establish native Seed Production Area trial sites for land restoration and rehabilitation across the Pilbara, Goldfields, and Kimberley regions.

Seed Production Areas are an innovative approach to meeting the increasing demand for native seed supply for land restoration, carbon farming and other biodiversity initiatives.

The NNSIDI grants will enhance Aboriginal economic opportunities and provide local, nature-based employment and training opportunities, as well as providing existing native seed industry players access to new markets and supply chains.

“The Northern Native Seed Industry Development Initiative represents a significant step forward in our commitment to sustainable development and Aboriginal economic empowerment,” Regional Development Minister Don Punch said.

The initiative will inform a future restoration economy through innovation in native seed technologies, storage, treatment and testing operations and the preservation of Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

The Northern Native Seed Initiative is a collaboration between the Pilbara, Kimberley, and Goldfields-Esperance Development Commissions, with two grant recipients in each region.

“This announcement marks an exciting milestone in the development of a First Nations-led restoration network in regional Western Australia,” Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis said.

“This initiative highlights the Cook Government’s dedication to environmental stewardship and the important role Indigenous knowledge and practices can play in land restoration initiatives.”

The Cook Government has committed a total of $4.4 million to support the production of native seed for land restoration across regional WA.

For more information about the Northern Native Seed Industry Development Initiative, visit www.pdc.wa.gov.au