THE Helena River is being restored in a major Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association (BNAA) project marking 200 years since the establishment of the Swan River colony.

The Mandoon Bilya Riverpark project has secured a $550,000 Lotterywest grant to help transform 10km of the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) into a thriving community, cultural and environmental asset.

The grant will support development of a comprehensive masterplan, foreshore management plan and business case, providing a clear roadmap for restoration, revitalisation and long-term investment in the riverpark.

The restoration forms part of the Riverpark initiative that also aims to put environmental custodianship back in the hands of Noongar Traditional Owners.

The initiative equips young Indigenous rangers with the training, knowledge and network to restore culturally significant sites such as the Helena River and maintain its health.

Led by Noongar Traditional Owners and scientists, and supported by local communities, schools, businesses, community groups and government agencies, the project aims to deliver lasting environmental, cultural, social and economic benefits while creating new opportunities for people to connect with the river.

BNAA chair and Noongar Elder Walter McGuire said Country is not just a place, but it is also Moort (family) and the major project aims to revive a spiritual connection to the land while fostering mutual care and respect in the community going forward.

“This environment is our family (and) we are part of it and it is part of us,” he said.

“BoorYul-Bah-Bilya is reconnecting the magical essence that this land has for all peoples.

“BNAA has story, song, heart, spirit, soul… we speak, we stand, for this environment.

“If you got story, heart, spirit, soul, then speak yourself for the old, the now and the future. Stand for it.”

The planning builds on restoration work already underway through BNAA’s BoorYul-Bah-Bilya (BBB) rangers, Perth’s first dedicated Aboriginal ranger team.

As reported in Extinct fish found in Helena River, BNAA’s major riverpark project is helping uncover returning species and contributing to departmental knowledge while fostering Indigenous community-led land care.

Working alongside Swan and Perth Hills community volunteers, schools and partner organisations, the rangers are improving the health of the river corridor through weed management, revegetation and trail creation.

The riverpark is expected to restore more than 265ha of degraded foreshore, improve biodiversity, habitat connectivity and water quality and expand tree canopy.

The project also targets the strengthening of culture and heritage, increasing recreation opportunities, active transport connections and community wellbeing alongside their push for new education, tourism and employment opportunities.

The grant funding will also support the development of a catchment plan that marries Noongar knowledge, contemporary science, community values, cultural heritage, recreation, community wellbeing and environmental restoration.

BNAA executive director and environmental scientist Francesca Flynn said the restoration came as part of the charity’s bigger plan to foster community and legacy.

“The Mandoon Bilya Riverpark is about much more than restoring a river,” she said.

“It’s about truth-telling, reconnecting communities and creating a living legacy for future generations.

“We’re incredibly grateful to our community, supporters and families, and especially to our Elders and the old people who are no longer with us.

“Their wisdom, leadership and legacy continue to guide and inspire our work every day.”