TRANSCRIPT
On the fringe of the Nullarbor on Yalata land there are thousands of western myall acacia trees.
Known to the Anangu as Kyatah, they are a traditional source of shelter and slow burning fuel.
The younger men have created a growing enterprise harvesting the dead trees for firewood.
One of the workers here is Erwin Mungee.
"We get up in the morning, come for work, go for a ride, get wood, come back and drop the wood and cut the wood with the big saw."
The group manager John Buckskin says only dead trees that wildlife are no longer using are harvested.
"Even if the gardia wood is not dried up and died and still has life in it, we don’t touch it. We let it go and keep growing because we know there’s wildlife in it as well and still using it."
Yalata is also experimenting with growing acacia from seed.
John Bridley has been with the business from the start.
Through his job he's got his forklift, excavator and telehandler licences, and a wage to support his family.
"We started with nothing, it was just the trailer, and the four guys with a chainsaw.
Reporter: "And then what happened? How did other people get interested?
John Bridley: "Well, they see us working and they came over and they were asking for a job and that. It actually feels really good. It helps a lot, like really a lot. It makes them forget all their problems, what's been going on in the community. But when they come to work, it's all gone you know."
Operations manager John Buckskin also grew up in Yalata and has recently returned, with a passion to help the next generation.
He says regular work and connection with the team is helping them rise above their challenges.
"It’s humbling really because most time they’re at home, they’re not out in the community really moving about so work gets them out, and gets them moving, gets them a chance to do some training some education, and further their skills and get more leadership roles in the community. The joy I see in their eyes when they’re working, and their family the wife comes over during lunch time and the baby’s in the arms, and he grabs his baby, it’s a beautiful moment."
The enterprise is creating an income for the community that will eventually be invested into solar energy.
Yalata is home to up to 350 people - and five years ago there were only 19 jobs here.
The firewood enterprise has created work for another 20 people.
There are additional ranger positions, a new art centre, and a community owned roadhouse selling local wares.
The firewood business is also supporting the older generation with regular wood deliveries - a service that William Buckskin says makes the boys proud.
"They always praise us up and let us know what we done and what it meant so it keeps us going more daily and getting younger more fellas here to get stuck into it, instead of doing the wrong things out there."
