ELALC recently held a meeting with Mr Constance to update him on its current activities, difficulties and to see where he was able to assist the group.

Mr Constance began the proceedings stating that hunting will not be permitted on the Bundian Way. 

This news comes after Fairfax Media’s revelation last month that the coastal section of the trail was open to recreational hunters.

At the meeting, Mr Constance said that section would be listed as an exclusion area. 

He said ELALC’s project on the Bundian Way, an ancient Indigenous pathway from Twofold Bay to the Snowy Mountains, was of national cultural significance.  

“Everyone knows how supportive I am of this project,” Mr Constance said. 

“Our Aboriginal heritage is so important to our nation, and it [the way] is here in our backyard.” 

He praised the involvement of the Indigenous community in the enterprise, saying “it’s one of the strongest reasons to get on a cruise ship and come to Eden”.  

ELALC land and sea country coordinator Les Kosez said the enterprise aimed to improve the local community’s social disadvantage as well as contribute to the region’s economy by providing jobs for local Indigenous Australians – potentially up to 30-50 by the time the development was completed. 

“We want to become independent and we want to be sustainable - we don’t want to be a multi-million dollar company,” he said. 

The ultimate goal, he said, was to establish the Bundian Way from the Far South Coast to the Kosciuszko region. 

On the Bundian Way, he hoped the ELALC’s enterprise will offer a range of difference experiences such as walks, scheduled cultural lessons such as art or tool making, cultural education programs as well as glamping.

The enterprise soon hopes to partner with National Parks and Wildlife Services to deliver cultural tours via a discovery tour program and tie in with the Eden Wharf development to provide experiences for passengers on cruise ships that stop in Eden. 

During the meeting, Mr Constance said he would be calling on the Commonwealth government to support the project, specifically the management roles. 

The first node of the Bundian Way, the section that runs along the coast, is scheduled to open early next year.