Warlibirri National Park has just been created in the Kimberley and stretches across 16,000 hectares to the east of Fitzroy Crossing, taking in and protecting parts of the Margaret River. 

 

‘Warlibirri’ is the local Gooniyandi word for water and the Traditional Custodians are delighted at the park’s creation, hoping it will create jobs and protect the river, which is considered a living ancestral being. 

‘I feel happy, because the river, it’s like life to us,’ said Gooniyandi Elder Claude Carter. 

National park status was sought for the area in an attempt to move the region away from damning and mining, and in doing so, the park now protects many sacred cultural sites as well. 

‘We live on top of the river and there’s other people down the river, different tribes, this river goes into Fitzroy River, and from the Fitzroy it comes out to Derby,’ Mr Carter told the ABC. ‘So it wasn’t just about us mob, it was about other people too.’

The park will be managed by the Gooniyandi Aboriginal Corporation alongside the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. 

Mr Carter hopes the new park will create more employment opportunities for the youth of the Kimberley, as the region is experiencing an increase in juvenile crime. 

‘I see good things for them kids again; they’ve got opportunities to come out here and look after country, we’ve got to try and find a road for them,’ Mr Carter said.

WA’s Environment Minister Reece Whitby has said Warlibirri is just the first in a series of national parks to be created in the Fitzroy Valley, with more expected to be announced in the coming year.

‘It means we can safeguard these areas and protect these areas for future generations,’ Mr Whitby said. 

 

Feature photo by yaruman5