Foundation perfect for Wujal Wujal nursery to grow
Our partnership with the RACQ Foundation in the Wujal Wujal community Nursery, now supported by seven new Remote Jobs and Economic Development roles is already thriving, but it is also set to grow into so much more.
Since the Nursery was reinvigorated through our Pride of Place SQW project there last year, the Wujal Wujal community have been very interested in growing it into not only a skill and experience building hub for local people, but also a profitable community owned enterprise. The already strong partnership between the RACQ Foundation and their team has allowed a new RJED project to begin this journey, employing Project Mentor Lucas Creek, Supervisor Eric Upite and five local nursery workers.
Since beginning late last year the nursery has had a much-needed tidy-up. Things grow very fast during wet season in Wujal Wujal, so as soon as the beds and grounds were ready again, the team got to work planting a range of fruits and vegetables. The first of these were on display at the Community Easter Fun Day held during the first week of the recent school holidays.
Nursery Worker Tyson Smiler enjoyed showing his family around his workplace during the Community Easter Fun Day.
With a free BBQ on offer, an Easter Egg hunt for the kids and a chance to see the nursery up close, the day was a great success. It was also a fantastic opportunity to discuss Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council’s aims for the community facility, and how it could benefit the region.
Surveys collected showed a strong community interest in produce including Taro, Chillies and Capsicums. A commercial sized cool room will soon be added to the nursery facilities, allowing such produce to be stored safely and hygienically ahead of market day opportunities, or even sales to local stores. There is also strong support for the nursery to grow native tree seedlings to rejuvenate the banks of the Bloomfield River, which are still very bare after Cyclone Jasper’s flooding in late 2023. Once proven, seedlings could also be grown and potentially sold to surrounding councils and organisations undertaking replanting works.
Local kids enjoyed an easter egg hunt and planted their favourite seedlings.
These initiatives are the seed for the nursery to grow into a sustainable, community-owned enterprise through the remainder of the three-year RJED project, providing ongoing employment opportunities and community wealth, COE Project Mentor and Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Councillor Lucas Creek said.
“This project aims to grow a viable local enterprise right here in Wujal Wujal, for the people of Wujal Wujal” he said.
“If we can grow produce that our community need and want, not only will selling it give us cheap, fresh fruit and veg, but it can also help with food security and costs of living.
“Collecting native seeds and growing local trees and plants for our council, and eventually for others around the area is also a huge opportunity.
“It makes use of our cultural knowledge; what grows best where, where to find the strongest seeds for those plants and where they will fit best into revegetation projects, and there’s no shortage of them [the revegetation projects] in a cyclone prone region!”
Community Owned Enterprises thanks Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council and the RACQ Foundation for their ongoing support of the Nursery projects and looks forward to the next stages of the project growing from this promising ground.
This story first appeared in the Cape York Weekly as Community nursery considers shop sales as green thumbs join team.