The Bundian Way project is bringing greater awareness of and engagement with Aboriginal culture. Photo: Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council.
The team behind a project bringing “a lot of positive benefits” to the Far South Coast are turning their eyes to its next stage.
The Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council (ELALC) runs cultural experiences along sections of the Bundian Way – a historic pathway that stretches from Twofold Bay on the South Coast to Mount Kosciuszko.
It has been used for centuries by Aboriginal people from Yuin, Ngarigo, Jaitmathang and Bidawal Country.
The ELALC is preparing new infrastructure, accommodation and cultural experiences along the route, as part of a multi-day walk through south-east NSW.
ELALC Tourism Development Manager Clair Mudaliar said work on the project’s latest stage (running from Jigamy to Shadracks Creek) was expected to finish in March.
“It’ll provide a good length of track that will be just over 30 kilometres … We will be finishing that and making that available to visitors and locals as a two-day, guided or self-guided hike.”
She also said new experiences for “anybody and everybody” were set to launch later this year.
It means an expansion of offerings that launched with experiences and tours in early 2025.
“A year ago, we kicked off our first experiences, which was great because that enabled us to get tourism happening before the full project was completed,” Ms Mudaliar said.
“We’ve been able to activate sections of the track and already get that underway.”
During a recent meeting, Bega Valley Shire Council (BVSC) endorsed a fee waiver to help with the project’s construction costs.
The ELALC is seeking to use public land within Cattle Bay Foreshore Reserve and Cocora Beach Reserve for a temporary construction zone.
Council documents state this would incur a fee of about $1160 for their use of public land (UPL).
“It also includes a proposed aerial operation involving the transportation of twenty-five (25) stepping stones, each weighing approximately 450 kg, to parcels 35805 and 37533. The works are forecast to be completed within a single day, with aerial operations conducted over an estimated one-hour period.”
Councillor Simon Daly won support for his suggestion that the council waive all current and future UPL fees.
He said a fee waiver would help the project progress.
“The Bundian Way has a lot of community and tourism benefits … I think it makes sense to do everything we can to ensure they can continue to develop the Bundian Way without any financial impact of UPL fees or anything else that might slow down continuing to develop it.”
Ms Mudaliar said the ELALC had “got our feelers out” as they investigated grant funding to help with the Bundian Way’s future stages.
The project has previously received state and federal government grants.
“We have been actively looking for different funding streams that this might fit in for a little while, but nothing definitive yet.
“We’re just keeping our fingers crossed … [We’re] not expecting it to happen tomorrow, although that would be amazing.”
She said the key takeaways of the Bundian Way project were the economic opportunities for local Aboriginal people and the chance to share their culture.
“This part of the project [work on the latest stage] is probably about half of what it entails, really, or a third.
“The rest of the project, getting the trail built all the way to Fisheries [Beach], and then the future plans of having a campground at Fisheries are quite vital parts of the project.
“This is a big part of it, but we’ve still got a ways to go.”
Following the BVSC meeting, the UPL fee waiver request will be exhibited for 28 days. If no objections are received, it will be implemented.
