In the lead-up to Aviation Day on August 19, local aboriginal men groups have turned their passion for aviation into a practical tool, looking to TAFE NSW for an innovative drone course to help inspect indigenous heritage sites and map out local lands.

The Jaanybarr Girrwaawa men’s group, which means men gathering, focuses on supporting its members and giving back to the community while sharing a passion for aviation. The men groups worked towards a Certificate III in Aviation (Remote Pilot licence).

Ben Beesley, Aviation teacher at TAFE NSW Wollongbar said “It was an honour to work with the guys, helping them work towards a Certificate III in Aviation. Seeing them apply the skills in a practical way was really rewarding”.

“They can use the skills from the course to map out areas of the land that is important to them, review hard-to-reach spaces and navigate the footprint of the land in a new way.”

Drones are increasingly being adopted across various industries, including maritime, construction, mining and farming. With the potential of providing $14.5 billion to the economy, of which $4.4 billion would be in regional areas and places like Nambucca.

TAFE Services Coordinator Lulu Jarret from TAFE NSW Macksville who created the support group has been nominated for an Innovation Award from NSW Health for her efforts.

Lulu Jarrett said, “I think it’s empowering them and building resilience and confidence within themselves and the community sees them in a different light when they’re supporting each other”

The group has thrived since its creation and wants to reconnect and learn more about their culture through other activities like cultural fishing for blackfish, mullet runs and cultural camps.[TM1] 

Dave Austin, TAFE NSW Aboriginal Education and Engagement Coordinator also came in to teach the group about food handling, health and safety when out working outside.

Dave said, “The group met all over the place, attended community events, helped out the elders, cooked a barbecue for the community, and fixed up the memorial gardens in Bowraville. Soon we hope to do a yarning circle up and Nambucca mission in the memorial park there”.

TAFE NSW offers a nationally recognised qualification to equip students with skills in this growing area. The Certificate III in Aviation (Remote Pilot) can qualify you as a commercially licensed drone operator.