Indigenous-led wetland restoration backed with $15m commitment

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation has committed $15 million through Bank Australia to back the Nari Nari Tribal Council (NNTC) to restore The Great Cumbung through the acquisition of Juanbung and Boyong Stations, helping to strengthen Indigenous leadership in land and water management.

The project encompasses some 34,000 hectares in south-west New South Wales, and will help restore one of Australia’s most significant freshwater wetland systems, delivering measurable carbon sequestration and long-term biodiversity benefits by rehabilitating freshwater wetlands, which play a critical role in storing carbon and regulating greenhouse gases.

Located at the junction of the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan Rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin, The Great Cumbung is home to threatened species, including birds like the Australasian Bittern and the Australian Painted Snipe. Restoration works will focus on removing floodplain barriers and regenerating native wetland and woodland systems, including river red gum, black box and mallee species, alongside selected grazing, to enhance biodiversity outcomes.

“Wetlands are nature’s pulse – they are a foundational indicator for our ecosystem health, and crucial to our fight against climate change. Indigenous land management practices have sustained Country for tens of thousands of years, and this commitment backs that leadership to deliver meaningful climate and biodiversity gains,” CEFC Head of Natural Capital Heechung Sung said.

“Guided by the NNTC, this project demonstrates the vital role Traditional Owner groups play in Australia’s net zero transition. With CEFC backing, the NNTC can focus on restoring this critical wetland and delivering long-term stewardship of Country. We’re proud to work with Bank Australia on a project that supports one of the nation’s most biodiverse landscapes.”

Jamie Woods, NNTC Chair said the commitment had great significance for the Nari Nari people.

“It has been 25 years in the making,” he said. ” The Great Cumbung is not just land – like its sister across the river Gayini, it’s unique. It is Country, carrying deep cultural and ecological meaning for our community. Securing its future means we can restore and protect this extraordinary landscape for generations to come, with the support of like-minded partners who share our vision.”

Bank Australia Head of Impact Lending, Tim Von Ess said it was an outstanding milestone for NNTC, who held a deep cultural connection to this landscape, and will now embark on a significant program of long-term conservation works.

“The importance of this acquisition extends well beyond the transaction itself. It marks a major step forward for First Nations leadership in landscape scale conservation, cultural restoration and long term environmental stewardship. It is also a significant moment for Bank Australia, representing a proud partnership with the CEFC, and is deeply tied to our impact areas. It’s the kind of outcome the whole of Bank Australia is proud to have supported,” he said.

The Great Cumbung adjoins Gayini, a 90,000-hectare property already owned and managed by the NNTC. Together, the sites represent a major expansion of Indigenous-led stewardship of Country.