MUNUNJALI elders in Beaudesert have welcomed moves to continue clearing up an overgrown site along the banks of the Logan River which was once their childhood home.
Weeds will be cleared and four thousand native trees and shrubs planted at Il Bogan Park through the federal government’s 20 Million Trees Program, the Green Army initiative and school programs.
Wright MP Scott Buchholz and the Scenic Rim Regional Council worked together to get $37,510 of federal government funding for the project, which will start on February 22.
The project will follow on from plantings carried out in conjunction with school students in 2015.
Mununjali elder Aunty Levina Page, who lived on the site as a child, welcomed the move.
“My brother Bevan Page and I lived in a little shanty on the side of the river with my Uncle Johnson Sandy my Aunty Eileen Sandy, so it’s a special place for us,” she said.
“It’s good to see it’s getting cleaned up, because we used to clear it right down to the river and be able to walk all the way to Petersen Street when we were kids.”
Wright MP Scott Buchholz said the project would promote the cultural significance of the site while helping the environment.
“This is a special site because of the significance it holds for our local Mununjali people and I’m glad we’ll be able to see the environment restored there through this project,” he said.
“This site is a valuable part of our local history and I look forward to seeing progress made there.”
Scenic Rim Mayor John Brent said it was a worthwhile investment.
“This site is culturally significant to the Mununjali people who camped and hunted in the area, is within proximity to a local bora ring, and continues to hold cultural activities in partnership with elders and local school children,” he said.
The Il Bogan restoration is one of three projects in Scenic Rim to share in $170,000 of federal funding, with $88,440 granted to plant 10,000 trees and shrubs at Back Creek in Beechmont and $44,000 granted to plant 5000 trees and shrubs beside Canungra Creek.
