What we now fully understand is that Aboriginal people, across the whole country, managed the landscape for safety and for productivity. This was effectively farming, and contradicts the view that they were merely subsisting off land left in its natural state.
After the demise of the megafauna, the Aboriginal people stepped into the breach. The megafauna used to munch and muscle their way through the forests, stopping the understorey building up dangerously. The Aboriginal people developed a system of low level continuous burning to do that job. They also became the top predator, so that kangeroos and other herbivores didn't overgraze.
European settlers and their diseases massively reduced the Aboriginal population. The Sydney area was open woodland when Cook and then settlers arrived. Later, explorers travelling over land saw smoke from fires in all directions. But very soon the dense forests that we are familiar with had taken over, and we new arrivals thought that was the natural state. In fact it had never existed before. Worse still, the Aboriginal practice of burning, though necessary, had had the effect that fire tolerant and fire dependent species were now much more common. We were all setup for the bushfire disasters that have plagued us ever since.
The problems are related and I will propose a solution to both. It needs to be said that the Aboriginal people are not a single legal entity, so we can't just give the forests back to them. Indeed it would not be wise to go that far, because the National Parks are now something that all Australians, and the ancestors who were the ancient owners, would want to keep close to a natural condition.
- The plan would be gradually expanded. Initially it would cover land where bushfires are likely and dangerous.
- Those Aboriginal people wishing to actively participate would become the beneficial owners able to: sell hunting licenses, charge for entry or camping, sell natural produce such as kangeroo meat.
- The Aboriginal people would work with government scientists to plan for returning the forests to a more natural and safer and more productive state.
- This includes the removal, or at least reduction, of non-native species of plants and animals.
- Keeping the forest thinned out and with low level vegetation reduced. Cultural burning should be part of this, but sequestering carbon would be better if possible.
- Those doing the work in the Parks would be paid, proportionately to their involvement. Those with more involvement will also receive more of the benefits.
Training will obviously be an important activity. We want Aboriginal people to be well off, well educated, and honouring their ancestors by caring for the land. Then we will be well placed to advise other countries on race relations. Reducing the bushfires will also be nice.
