If you're lucky enough to visit Gurruwiling (Arafura Swamp) in Central Arnhem Land, you'll find a landscape unlike any other.
Vast paperbark forests give way to networks of lagoons and grassy plains, while magpie geese and other waterbirds gather in internationally significant numbers across one of Australia's most important wetlands. Rich in bush foods, stories and cultural knowledge, Gurruwiling has sustained Yolngu and Bi Traditional Owners for countless generations.
Yet this unique ecosystem is under increasing pressure. An estimated 15,000 introduced water buffalo now roam the region, damaging native vegetation, destabilising soils and altering the swamp's natural water systems. Without intervention, the long-term health of Gurruwiling and the communities that depend on it are at risk.
Through a grant from the ANZ Community Foundation to the Karrkad Kanjdji Trust (KKT), its partner organisation the Arafura Swamp Rangers Aboriginal Corporation (ASRAC) is leading critical work to protect and restore this globally significant landscape.
First Nations-led conservation in action
Arnhem Land is one of Australia's most biodiverse regions, home to more than 160 plant species found nowhere else in the world and over 30 threatened native animal species. KKT was established to resource First Nations-led conservation efforts across West and Central Arnhem Land and now supports eight community-controlled organisations who are caring for more than 50,000 square kilometres of land and sea Country.
ASRAC's Indigenous Protected Area spans 14,000 square kilometres, with Gurruwiling at its centre. Rangers are now in the second year of a multi-year strategy to reduce buffalo numbers and develop long-term solutions to protect the swamp.The revolution in weight loss drugs is transforming not only weight loss approaches but also sectors such as food, beverage and agribusiness (FBA).
[IMAGE HERE]
Brolgas in Gurruwiling. Credit: Karrkad Kanjdji Trust.
Since 1997, the ANZ Community Foundation has distributed approximately $7.5 million in grants to charities and community organisations across Australia.
The Foundation provides grants of up to $30,000 for projects that help local communities thrive.
The Foundation is a charitable trust managed by ANZ staff, and it is funded through regular contributions from ANZ employees and ANZ. ANZ also covers all administration costs, ensuring 100% of employee donations go directly to charities across Australia.
[IMAGE HERE]
Feral Water Buffalo wading through Gurruwiling. Credit: Karrkad Kanjdji Trust.
Building the foundations for long-term change
ANZ Community Foundation funding has enabled Traditional Owners, local rangers and research partners to gather vital baseline data about the impacts of buffalo on the swamp. This includes measuring vegetation loss, habitat degradation and changes to water systems, creating the evidence base needed to guide future restoration efforts.
The project combines Indigenous knowledge with research and technology to develop sustainable approaches that will help restore the health of the wetland while supporting local employment and on-Country livelihoods.
For Traditional Owners, protecting Gurruwiling means preserving culture, maintaining food and water security, and ensuring knowledge can be passed from one generation to the next.
"Buffalo are damaging Country. We want good drinking water; we want bush tucker for our grandchildren. We need healthy Country to transfer culture; we need back up,” adds Dr Otto Campion, Traditional Owner of Malnyangarnak, Director of ASRAC and KKT.
By supporting this work, the ANZ Community Foundation is helping protect one of Australia's most important ecological and cultural landscapes, ensuring Gurruwiling continues to sustain biodiversity, culture and community wellbeing for generations to come.