Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00432:reg:3:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00432
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 1/14)
Character Range: 20302–23366

3               Background

3.1                 Purpose
A recovery plan under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) aims to halt the decline and to support the recovery of species listed as threatened so that its chances of long-term survival in nature are maximised.

3.2                 Cultural significance
The number of Indigenous names for the Greater Bilby highlights its importance for Indigenous people across Australia. The name Bilby is derived from the Ullaroi language name – Bilba (Paltridge 2016). There are at least another twenty names used across Australia. Having a name for an animal indicates that Indigenous people recognise it as distinct and means they have an understanding of its ecology, undertake management for the species, and/or incorporate it into their cultural stories, beliefs, and law. This knowledge, and a strong connection to the species, continues for Indigenous people, even in areas where bilbies are now locally extinct.
In 2016 the Kiwirrkurra Community (WA), on behalf of the Indigenous Desert Alliance, hosted a Ninu (bilby) Festival, recognising the importance of the knowledge and support from Indigenous rangers and Traditional Owners across the Greater Bilby's range. The Ninu Festival harnessed traditional and contemporary knowledge about the Greater Bilby and processes that threaten it to produce a framework for effective and collaborative management of wild bilby populations across Australia (Paltridge 2016).
This recovery plan contains many on-ground actions for implementation in Indigenous Protected Areas and other Indigenous-managed lands. In order to maximise their effectiveness, this plan embraces the themes of:
    * Keeping the Tjukurrpa (Box 2) and cultural knowledge of the Greater Bilby alive and strong.
    * Increasing community awareness of the Greater Bilby – locally and more broadly.
    * Strengthening and expanding Indigenous ranger support and activities.
    * Increasing management efforts.
    * Mapping and monitoring bilbies, threats, and management effectiveness.
Ninu helps to connect people. Across Aboriginal Australia, people connect through family, language, country and Dreamings. 'Relatedness' is a central and valued concept among Indigenous groups. This relatedness includes people's relationships to each other, to animals and their songlines (Walsh 2016).
Box 2 Tjukurrpa
Tjukurrpa has many deep, complex meanings. Tjukurrpa refers to the creation period when Indigenous ancestral beings created the world. Tjukurrpa tells of the relationships between people, plants, animals and the physical features of the land. It is the past, present and future – all at the same time. Through the Tjukurrpa, bilbies of one place are related by Tjukurrpa to bilbies in another place and another place and so on along lines that cross the country. So custodians in one place can make connections to custodians in other places. They do this through their responsibilities to look after the sites, songs and stories for the animals. Sharing