Danju - Jobs Together

Danju - Jobs Together, winner of the Caring for Country and Culture Award at the 2024 NAIDOC Ball, is a project that is building additional skills and providing job opportunities for local Noongar people. The Project began in 2017 as a concept to include Noongar people in landcare work being carried out by the Leschenault Catchment Council.

The Leschenault Catchment Council sees great value in working collaboratively with Noongar people as Traditional Custodians who hold strong connections to the land we work on; and see the benefits gained from local traditional knowledge. The program is designed to benefit the individuals involved, through mentoring into the workforce; cultivating community and friendships; involvement in outdoor, physical activities; plus a steady stream of paid work opportunities.

The Danju – Jobs Together Project has supported the Leschenault Catchment Council on many of our community projects, undertaking activities such as planting, seed collection, fence construction and repair, weed management and pruning services. The Leschenault Catchment Council have provided on-the-job training and practical certifications throughout the Program and gained from input from Noongar elders when planning our activities.

With support from the South West Development Commission via the Collie Futures Small Grants Program in 2019, the Danju Project was given a funding injection to allow for the development of a formal business plan, including governance frameworks, allowing the Danju to grow its business offering to a broader market. Through this opportunity, the LCC have supported the team to improve their Safety Management System and undertake formal training for the staff, building the teams capacity to deliver contracts in weed control, landcare and forestry activities across the region. For more information on the services provided by the Danju Project, head over to our services page.

More recently, the Project has been successful in securing opportunities including natural area management for the City of Bunbury, environmental projects with South 32 and ongoing partnerships with Water Corporation, Southern Seawater Alliance and Wespine.

The Danju Project has received widespread support from local MP’s, shires, government agencies, landholders and the broader community.