Something really special is happening in the Northern Rivers right now. Out on this beautiful piece of Country near Alstonville, the Bundjalung Tribal Society has started work on a brand-new cultural and educational centre — and honestly, it feels like the beginning of something much bigger. The Bundjalung Tribal Society (or BTS) has been around for about 50 years. It first started because our Elders saw that Aboriginal families couldn’t get proper housing. There were a lot of tough things happening — health problems, welfare issues, and just straight-up unfair treatment. The old people wanted a place where their mob could live, feel safe, and be supported. Since then, BTS has grown into a huge part of the community. And now they’re taking another big step. At Namabunda Farm, on 30 hectares of rolling green hills, they’ve begun building a $3.4 million centre that will be all about culture, learning, and community. When CEO Melissa Bolt talks about it, you can feel how much it means to her. She said the whole thing gives her goosebumps — and honestly, I get it. You can just tell this project is something powerful. The farm already has a few things going on, like a drug and alcohol program, some housing, and space for growing food. But this new centre will take everything to the next level. They plan to run conferences, workshops, and heaps more community activities. Last year alone they held more than 45 workshops with over a thousand people showing up. School kids come out, women’s groups come out, everyone comes out to learn and reconnect. One of the coolest things they’re doing is restoring the land. They’re pulling out introduced plants and putting native plants and bush tucker back into the ground. It’s healing Country in a really practical way. Chairwoman Tracey King said that because BTS is mostly self-funded, this project also needs to be sustainable. They’re thinking about things like bush foods and smaller niche markets that can help keep the property running while still celebrating culture. Even the design of the new buildings is cultural. Their architect said the community wanted something that represented their goanna totem, so the whole centre is designed around the idea of a goanna’s tail, with buildings branching off it. It sounds beautiful — modern, but still grounded in story. One really deadly thing is that the project is aiming for 80% First Nations participation. That means First Nations designers, engineers, workers — everyone involved, leading the whole thing. After the sod-turning, Uncle Phil Roberts did a cultural burn and talked to everyone about how it works. His father, Pastor Frank Roberts, started BTS all those years ago. Uncle Phil said his dad would be proud of what it has become — not just housing, but a proper cultural place for the community. He also said that a lot of young people who struggle in school do really well when they get back on Country. Learning outside, learning through culture, lights something up inside them. You could see how much he believes in this place. Tracey King imagines the future every time she walks the land. She says she can already see young people sitting in the amphitheatre, telling stories, yarning with Elders, learning who they are. She can picture the whole place buzzing with life. The cultural centre is expected to be finished in 2027, and they’re already dreaming about adding a third stage after that. To me, it feels like BTS is building not just a centre, but a legacy — one that honours the past while creating something beautiful for the next generation.