Pilot Cultural Burn in Carriageway Park, Tuthangga (Park 17)

UPDATE

On Friday 14 May 2021, the Kaurna community and the City of Adelaide collaboratively delivered the Kaurna Kardla Parranthi Cultural Burn Project in Carriageway Park /Tuthangga (Park 17) in the south Park Lands.   

The Cultural Burn was an historic, joyous occasion. It was the first time Kaurna people were able to publicly practice cultural burning techniques since many of their customs were displaced following European colonisation. It is also the first time a cultural burn has been undertaken in a capital city in Australia. 

Over 200 people including representatives from other First Nations groups and local City residents, joined Kaurna Elders and the Lord Mayor in a moving Welcoming Ceremony, which highlighted the significant Cultural, ecological and reconciliation outcomes of the event. 

This groundbreaking and nationally significant partnership project, involving the reintroduction of traditional fire management practices into the Adelaide Park Lands - for the first time in over 240 years, was a demonstration of Council’s strong commitment to meaningful reconciliation. 

The burn was initiated in response to outcomes from the City of Adelaide’s Integrated Biodiversity Management Plan 2018 – 2023 and Stretch Reconciliation Plan 2018 – 2021 related to incorporating Kaurna traditional knowledge into the management of biodiversity in the Park Lands.

The trial bio-cultural burn was relocated to Carriageway Park, Tuthangga (Park 17) and took place on Friday 14 May 2021.

Background

Since mid-2019 the City of Adelaide (CoA) has been working with the Kaurna community, Department for Environment and Water (DEW) and other key stakeholders to undertake a pilot cultural burn in a small area of the Adelaide Park Lands.

This project was initiated in response to outcomes from CoA’s Integrated Biodiversity Management Plan 2018 – 2023 and Stretch Reconciliation Plan 2018 – 2021 related to incorporating Kaurna knowledge into management of the Park Lands.

Project Information

On 4 Dec 2019 the Reconciliation Committee recommended that Council supports this project, and this motion was passed by Council on 10 Dec 2019. This project was presented to the Adelaide Park Lands Authority on 5 March 2020.

This project carries significant cultural importance for the Kaurna community, the Traditional Owners of the Adelaide region. The City of Adelaide is proud to be working with the Kaurna community to trial the return of fire to the Adelaide Park Lands.

The trial cultural burn is intended to assist in the ecological management of a section of the Key Biodiversity Area in Carriageway Park, Tuthangga (Park 17). The fire will be low in intensity and pose no public health or safety risk to nearby residents, businesses or Park Lands users. The cultural burn will be undertaken by trained members of the Kaurna community alongside DEW fire management personnel.

Pre-burn ecological surveys have already been conducted and ongoing monitoring and management will allow CoA to assess and respond to the effects of the burn.

Questions & Answers (Q&A)

An ongoing Q&A tool is active below. Panel members are: City of Adelaide staff, Representative from the Kaurna Community and Representative from State Government Department for Environment and Water.