Pipalyatjara, Kalka, Wingellina and Warakurna Projects (October 1987)

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The Ernabella Land Management work that was developed during the 1970's and included re-afforestation, horticulture, landcare, town planning and landscaping was now available as a service to all the communities and homelands who were members of the Pitjantjatjara Council. A Land Management unit had been established within the Council's resource centre in Alice Springs to provide these services to Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara communities. Many of these communities and homelands had some badly degraded lands surrounding them.

In the winter of 1987 after discussions with Mr Bob Keetch from the Land Conservation unit in Alice Springs it was decided to visit Pipalyatjara, Kalka, Wingellina and Warakurna to study the degraded lands that surrounded them. Mike Last from the Pitjantjatjara Council Land Management unit had worked with Bob on the Ernabella project in 1973 and now they were considering revegetating much larger areas of land around communities. They visited the Warburton community as well so Bob could get a cross-section of the soil types and the nature of the degradation in each place. The Land Conservation unit had some funds available so it was decided they would bring their equipment, including an opposed disc plough and sow grass seed as well as some acacia seed in degraded areas around Pipalyatjara, Kalka, Wingellina and Warakurna.