Standing in a helmet and steel-capped boots in the West Australian desert, the young ranger inhales a fragrance judged to be among the world's best.The scent of the sacred sandalwood tree has wafted over Yilka country, more than 1,000 kilometres north-east of Perth, for millennia.
But Mr Murray and other Yilka traditional owners were only granted a seat at that table a year ago when they received a licence to harvest wild sandalwood on their country.amid fears it is being pushed towards the brink of extinction.The government will call for public comments about a management program in the coming months.The driving force behind the Yilka sandalwood operation, known as HM for cultural reasons, said he understood those concerns.
HM said all earnings were invested back into the land after paying rangers' wages and buying new equipment.Sandalwood is worth up to $25,000 a tonne.HM said his organisation hired an external consultant who said a 100-tonne annual wild harvest would be sustainable on Yilka country.
Was the licence granted by the White Anglo community of Australians who have conquered us since 1788?
As long as its sustainable then all good. I would buy some of that sandalwood oil.