Djandak Wi: Country Fire Returns to Dja Dja Wurrung Land

In 2017, the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation (DJAARA) led the first cultural burn on Djaara Country in 170 years, restarting a practice interrupted by colonisation. Victorian Government Cultural Fire Grants awarded in 2022 let DJAARA expand its Djandak Wi program and develop a formal Djandak Wi Strategy, using small, cool patch burns to protect cultural sites, regenerate native seed germination, and reduce fuel loads across central Victoria's forests. DJAARA's Forestry and Fire team now delivers cultural and ecological burns in partnership with Victoria's state fire agencies, while training and employing Traditional Owners as cultural fire practitioners.