Australia’s first Indigenous-owned water testing laboratory has opened at the Port of Bundaberg in Queensland, ABC News reports. It is called Nyamgim Gung, meaning “looking at water” in the Gurang language.
The lab is run by the Gidarjil Development Corporation, which represents the Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng and Taribelang Bunda traditional owners. It sits beside the Burnett River, about 400 kilometres north of Brisbane, and gained national accreditation in September.
It will test seawater, river water, fresh and brackish water for Gidarjil’s Indigenous rangers, and sell testing to other organisations too. Lab manager Nirali Vadgama has worked on the project since 2022. Chief executive Margaret Blackman hopes it will help other Aboriginal organisations care for their own sea country.
Source: ABC News