Funding helps float cultural tourism on NSW south coast
Some of the participants who recently completed certificate II training in cultural tourism.
Aboriginal communities from Jervis Bay to Bermagui have participated in a series of training programs to support Aboriginal tourism and employment in the marine estate.
NSW DPI Senior Manager Marine Estate Aboriginal Culture, Kylie Jacky, said the training enabled Aboriginal people to obtain coxswain certification and tour guide qualifications.
She said 10 people have done the coxswain training so far, all of whom had gained their boat licence and deckhand qualifications previously. There is now another group currently completing their coxswain training.
The coxswain qualification allows graduates to command and operate a commercial vessel less than 12 metres long. This means they can work on tourist vessels, charter boats and some commercial fishing vessels.
Noel Webster, the Aboriginal Community Support Officer South East Local Land Services, worked closely with the training providers to ensure the training was adapted to suit Aboriginal people.
He said this was done by including story telling in the training, and using the outdoors as the classroom. The instructors also shared their experiences with a bit of humour, to keep everyone engaged.
A similar training approach was used in Narooma for the marine tour guide training course.
The marine tour guide training will help local Aboriginal community members find work within the marine tourism industry and even assist them to establish their own cultural tourism venture.
Operators of marine tourism businesses on the south coast can consider employing these qualified guides to deliver a unique experience of Aboriginal Sea Country culture. These guides can share stories of how Aboriginal communities lived in the area over thousands of years and continue to maintain their cultures.
The training is already paying off as two of the coxswain graduates are getting ready to launch their charter business Gadu Aboriginal boat charters, culture and fishing in Jervis Bay later this year.
The NSW Government’s Marine Estate Management Strategy has provided funding for these innovative training opportunities.
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