Our Vision
Community Land Acquisition Initiative envisions a harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, guided by First Nation’s sciences, the wisdom of deep ecology and the reverence for the land inherent in First Nation’s beliefs. Our vision has its basis in the understanding that we are interconnected threads in the intricate web of life, and our well-being is intricately linked to the health of the land, waters, and all living beings.
Community Land Acquisition Initiative is an alliance of First Nations individuals and groups, community members, NGOs and private interests. Our vision is to broker positive, solution focused outcomes for community, government and developers to transfer stewardship of biodiverse-rich areas which are currently under private ownership to the community in perpetuity for all.
Our board and constitution are First Nations led. We are working with all First Nation Stakeholders regionally to ensure cohesion between Native Title groups and the surrounding clans and communities to preserve the indigenous cultural heritage and ecological values of all lands within the Bundjalung Nations area.
Our Mission
Community Land Acquisition Initiative is an organisation that was born to solve environmental protection which requires purchase of lands that cannot be acquired through any other means than by community driven fundraising and philanthropy. It follows the values and approaches of Biodiversity Legacy™ and is led by First Nation’s sciences and approaches to the selection of these important ecological corridors, and parcels of land within the Bundjalung Nation. The purpose is "the protection and custodianship of our collective living heritage”
CLAI was initiated in full consultation with Traditional Owners of the Bundjalung Nation and is committed to continuing to work within these lands as they lead their Nation in environmental protection and cultural sustenance.
Community Land Acquisition Initiative - Wallum
Our first project is the precious coastal heathland, Wallum, one of the last remaining habitats of its kind, and home to 24 endangered species.
The Wallum site contains rare coastal heathland home to endangered species such as the Wallum Sedge Frog, Glossy Black Cockatoo, and Koala. These species have significant totemic associations for First Nations communities. The site is adjacent to Simpsons Creek, connecting to the Brunswick River, and holds numerous cultural and environmental values.
Our blueprint includes private funding and financial instruments such as carbon and biodiversity credits to generate income for land under our management and as part of packages in acquisition trade arrangements. We are lobbying government to support our initiative with funding through disaster mitigation, environmental and cultural preservation allocations.
Make a Pledge
Will you help us realise our bold vision? Together as Earth's custodians we will stand up for Wallum's precious wildlife and preserve it for all of us and for the sake of life on earth. Your contributions, whether money, or in the form of biodiversity and carbon credits, serve as the cornerstone of our mission.
Team Members
Mark Cora
Minjungbal Cultural Leader, Educator, and Independent Artist. Mark has spent his career working within the Community Service sector and the Arts sector. Leading the development of Aboriginal Organisations, promoting Aboriginal service delivery and culturally informed practice. He is passionate about the protection of Country and creating opportunities for cultural practice and advancement of First Nation youth, through connection to country and arts and culture. A founding member of the Kinship Festival, the largest arts, culture and dance festival in the Northern Rivers. Mark is advising CLAI in cultural protocol and community engagement.
Wendy Royston
Wendy originally taught English in high school and then saw the need for a Rudolf Steiner school in Murwillumbah, Northern Rivers, New South Wales. She established the school with others and worked as the administrator for five years. Wendy has been an activist all her life starting with the Vietnam war moratoriums, continuing through to the first environmental protest in Australia at Terania forest. More recently she has been involved in the Adani protest and visited the camp in Queensland. Last year she was involved in the blockade of the coal port at Newcastle. She also co-manages a women's empowerment program in India, since 2007. Her experience with the environment and bush regeneration and involvement in the above activities have developed her skills so that she is well suited to be a member of the team of CLAI.
Sandra Lundbergs
Sandra is a psychologist, meditation teacher and artist, and has previously run her own training company. She is a long-term resident of Byron Shire, and nature lover. She is a firm believer that biodiversity and high cultural heritage and ecological value sites need to be returned to the community and preserved for future generations. She is a member of the Australian Plants Society, and is a regular bushwalker.
Graeme Batterbury
Following a career as a photographer, Graeme travelled to India in 1999 and was so moved by the poverty and inequity he experienced there, he was motivated to start a charity to address the imbalances inherent in the patriarchal Indian society. Graeme is the Founder and Administrator of Women's Empowerment in Indian Villages, a project of Academy of Root Development (Australia) Incorporated, which has been bringing awareness and opportunity to rural families in Bihar, India since 2005. He is an experienced Company Secretary, Public Officer and dedicated environmental and social activist.
Advisors
Arabella Douglas
Bundjalung TO, lawyer, economist and scholar. Arabella Douglas is a Nation Builder, who understands the importance of First Nations leadership and its critical role to effect environmental, social and economic change for the future generations of all Australians. Arabella currently holds two NSW Cabinet appointments and is a strategic advisor to business and government.
Duncan Dey
Duncan Dey is a Civil Engineer specialising in water cycles, including flood analysis, water ways and coastal processes. He brings those skills to the role as Advisor to CLAI, as well as his experience with community groups in Australia and overseas. His priorities are environmental protection and respect and support for the community.
Dave Rawlins
Dave Rawlins completed an honours degree in zoology and for over 20 years has worked in the Northern Rivers region undertaking ecological restoration. He runs his own business with a focus on conserving threatened species and educating people on biodiversity conservation issues. Dave, for over a decade, has been part of the long community effort to highlight the importance of the Wallum development site and to protect the significant biodiversity values of the area. Inspired by First Nations people's connection to land, Dave believes the CLAI mission for the Wallum site can create an opportunity for everyone to further connect to, and care for Country.
Biodiversity Legacy Limited
Biodiversity Legacy offers a pioneering approach to protecting land for future generations and engaging regional communities in its ongoing environmental stewardship.
Formed in 2022 Biodiversity Legacy's key function is to support community groups such as CLAI Wallum to acquire land and transfer the land title into a safe land ownership structure that supports in-perpetuity habitat protection.
BDL supports emerging and established biolinks nationally and has the experience, governance and networks in place to help us achieve our goals. This BDL framework effectively returns land to a community-based ownership structure, where the land can be cared for and enjoyed by everyone.
Website images by Beverley Callow, Graeme Batterbury, Mac Maderski, Mark Seiffert, Sandra Lundbergs
All images © copyright of the photographer