Visitors to Warrawong can wander through more than 35 hectares of bushland.

Ngarrindjeri Enterprises Pty Ltd (NEPL) is the investment arm of the Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority (NRA), which is committed to creating sustainable income, training and employment opportunities for the Ngarrindjeri nation. The 18 clans that make up the Ngarrindjeri are the traditional owners of the lower Murray River and Coorong areas of South Australia.

In an exciting and strategic partnership with the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia (Zoos SA), the Ngarrindjeri have acquired the Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary (external website, new window), located at Mylor in the Adelaide Hills.

With loan assistance through IBA’s Business Development and Assistance Program, the Ngarrindjeri have purchased the land and existing buildings at Warrawong, while Zoos SA have purchased – and will continue to operate – the sanctuary business.

The sanctuary was established in 1969 on 35 hectares of bushland habitat and is home to more than 100 species of birds and native mammals, many of which are Ngartji (special friends) to the Ngarrindjeri people.

At Warrawong visitors can get up close to some of Australia’s unique marsupials, birds, snakes, lizards and insects, and observe the platypus in its natural habitat. Aside from self-guided walks, the sanctuary offers school tours and overnight stays, nocturnal guided tours, dawn walks and daily animal shows. A conference and education centre, restaurant, retail outlet, and accommodation in 14 air-conditioned eco-huts offer visitors a diverse range of experiences.

With advice and mentoring from MLCS Corporate Pty Ltd in Adelaide (one of IBA’s network of business consultants), the Ngarrindjeri have developed a five year strategic business plan, and cemented the terms of the partnership agreement. Under that agreement the Ngarrindjeri will lease the Warrawong land and buildings to Zoos SA for a period of up to 45 years, generating an annual income.

Of equal significance , however, are the opportunities for employment and training and the scope for adding value to the existing tourism and cultural operations of the Ngarrindjeri nation.

Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary offers overnight accommodation in 14 eco-huts.

Zoos SA currently operate the Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Zoo in South Australia. Through its employment and delivery arm, Ngarrindjeri Ruwe Contracting, the Ngarrindjeri will supply Warrawong and other Zoos SA properties with staff trained in land revegetation, rehabilitation, and seed propagation.

And leveraging Zoo SA’s strong marketing experience and resources, including a 28,000-strong membership database, the sanctuary will benefit from ongoing Zoos SA promotional activities.

The Ngarrindjeri currently operate five tourism sites across the Murraylands (including the Coorong Wilderness Lodge). Through such strategic partnerships, the Ngarrindjeri hope to establish a cultural tourism trail that provides visitors to the region with a comprehensive experience of their culture and history.

Ngarrindjeri Business Manager Lynton Keen said: ‘It would be ideal for visitors to South Australia to have a Zoos SA experience, and a Ngarrindjeri experience as part of their stay. So it’s about how we can assist each other, and what we can learn from each other. We have formed a joint steering committee that is getting into the nitty-gritty of how we can work together on employment and tourism opportunities to ensure we maximise the multiple benefits to both parties’.

Read The best of both worlds to find out more information about the Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority.