00:04Culture is a slow burn for the Wannerua people of the Hunter Valley in New South Wales.
00:12They've survived colonisation and centuries of disadvantage, but respect for culture remains
00:18strong.
00:23This is Bayami, the Wannerua's creation spirit.
00:26The cave painting near Singleton has been radiocarbon dated to more than 2,000 years ago.
00:34He can fly and created everything and his big eyes can see everything. Created the rivers,
00:43the mountains, the trees and the people as well. So it's our story.
00:49For community leader Laurie Perry, the Bayami story is a strong connection to country. He
00:56believes caring for country can be the salvation of his people.
01:04The Wannerua are the people of the hills and plains, but for more than 200 years their country
01:11has been the lifeblood of one of Australia's biggest economic drivers.
01:19Coal mining here has earned billions of dollars and created thousands of jobs. But now in
01:25the rush to renewable energy, the industry is winding down. The coming decades will be more
01:31about restoring and rehabilitating thousands of hectares of disturbed land. The Wannerua want
01:37to be at the forefront of this transition with their own business. Laurie Perry is the CEO of
01:43the Wannerua Nation Aboriginal Corporation.
01:46Because we've cared for country for thousands of years. We get a chance now to do it again.
01:53This time do it in a way that's going to revitalise the hunter as well. The planet can't survive
02:03without trees.
02:06Last September the Wannerua Corporation bought this 11 hectare nursery at East Gressford in
02:13the Upper Hunter to supply the mining industry. It includes water rights and a living seed bank
02:19with hundreds of species of native trees, grasses and shrubs collected over more than 60 years.
02:25The nursery will be the focal point of an integrated supply chain where Wannerua people will eventually
02:32gather the seed, grow the plants and manage rehabilitation projects and ongoing land care.
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