Devastating bushfires affect lives of indigenous people across Australia

Some of Australia’s indigenous leaders believe many of the devastating bushfires which have caused untold damage across the nation could have been prevented, with accusations that the widespread calls for better land management practices over the years have been ignored.

Among them is Noel Butler, a Budawang Elder of the Yuin Nation South Coast at New South Wales. He is a qualified teacher who has been working as a Cultural Educator for over 30 years, running specific programs for all sectors.

As a great animal lover, one of the first things Butler did after returning to the fire-ravaged site where his home stood for 18 years was to lay out some food for the wildlife that survived, and plant new plants for birds in the area.