Have your say on Mungabareena

Mungabareena – which means ‘Place of Plenty Talk’ in the Wiradjuri language – has enormous cultural and historic significance to Aboriginal people who met there over countless generations to negotiate trade, arrange marriages and resolve disputes.

The reserve has now been declared an “Aboriginal Place” – a formal declaration that recognises the site’s importance to Aboriginal people and enshrines protections for the area into law.

Mungabareena is also an important recreational site for non-Aboriginal people and the declaration of it as an ‘Aboriginal Place’ does not affect access to the site by any members of the community.

However, the declaration does create opportunities to provide more robust protection of the site against vandalism, feral weed and animal infestation and other threats to its amenity and environmental values.

A comprehensive vegetation management plan has also been developed to combat pest species and promote the growth of native plants.

AlburyCity Deputy Mayor Amanda Cohn said the proposed improvements include the installation of bollards and the closure of some four-wheel-drive tracks to prevent vehicle-based vandalism of grasslands and other sensitive areas.

“The beautiful riverside Mungabareena Reserve is a sacred place for local Aboriginal people and we have a wonderful opportunity to work with the Aboriginal community to make it a safer place for everyone to enjoy,” she said.

“I’ve heard from our community that people want to see an end to dangerous driving and vandalism of the natural environment in this area. Please jump on the council website Have a Say process to help us find the best way to protect Mungabareena into the future.”