A landmark Noongar-led river restoration project has secured a $550,000 Lotterywest grant to help transform 10 kilometres of Western Australia's Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) into a thriving community, cultural and environmental asset.

The grant enables Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association (BNAA) to progress the Mandoon Bilya Riverpark, an initiative of its BoorYul-Bah-Bilya (BBB) Program for healing Country, while also developing a catchment-wide plan for the entire river system.

Envisioned as "a living legacy" for the 2029 Boorloo / Perth Bicentenary, the riverpark aims to support truth-telling, healing and cultural recognition while reconnecting the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River) with Kattamorda (the Darling Scarp and Perth Hills) through a network of accessible green spaces, trails and restored habitat, Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association said.

The Mandoon Bilya Riverpark will be one of Boorloo's largest urban river restoration initiatives, restoring a significant cultural and ecological corridor across the eastern metropolitan region.

Led by Noongar Traditional Owners and scientists, and supported by local communities, schools, businesses, community groups and government agencies, the project aims to deliver "lasting environmental, cultural, social and economic benefits while creating new opportunities for people to connect with the river", BNAA said.

BNAA Chairperson and Noongar Elder, Walter McGuire OAM, said the Association "has story, song, heart, spirit, soul".

"We speak, we stand, for this environment," he said.

"BoorYul-Bah-Bilya is reconnecting the magical essence that this land has for all Peoples.

"This environment is our family, we are part of it and it is part of us. The land, rivers, springs, hills, night sky, day sky, sun, moon, stars, rain, lightning, thunder, freshwater, oxygen, clouds, wind, all flora and fauna, everything is our sisters and brothers, our Moort-Family."

The Lotterywest grant will support development of a comprehensive Masterplan, Foreshore Management Plan and Business Case, providing a clear roadmap for restoration, revitalisation and long-term investment in the riverpark.

The planning builds on restoration work already underway through BNAA's BBB Rangers, Boorloo's first dedicated Aboriginal Ranger team.

Working alongside local volunteers, schools and partner organisations, the rangers are improving the health of the river corridor through weed management, revegetation and trail creation.

The lower river is significantly degraded, with extensive weed infestations, degraded vegetation, eroded riverbanks, a largely cleared floodplain and water quality issues. In some areas, the river corridor is fenced off, inaccessible or disconnected from the community. Despite these challenges, the river remains a resilient freshwater ecosystem that supports long-necked turtles, gilgies, endemic fish species and threatened Carter's freshwater mussels.

BNAA Executive Director, environmental scientist Francesca Flynn, said the grant represents "a significant milestone for our community and for the future of the Mandoon Bilya".

"It enables us to move from vision to action on one of the most ambitious river restoration and community revitalisation projects in Western Australia," she said.

"The Mandoon Bilya Riverpark is about much more than restoring a river. It's about truth-telling, reconnecting communities and creating a living legacy for future generations.

"We're incredibly grateful to our community, supporters and families, and especially to our Elders and the Old People who are no longer with us. Their wisdom, leadership and legacy continue to guide and inspire our work every day."

The riverpark is expected to deliver environmental and community benefits, including:

· Restoration of more than 265 hectares of degraded foreshore.

· Improved biodiversity, habitat connectivity and water quality.

· Expanded tree canopy, urban cooling and increased climate resilience.

· Increased recreation opportunities, active transport connections and community wellbeing.

· Celebration and strengthening of culture and heritage.

· New opportunities for education, tourism and employment.

The Lotterywest grant will also support the development of a community-led catchment plan for the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) system, including the Darkin River, Beraking Brook, Nyaania Creek, Kadina Brook and Elder Creek.

BNAA said that unlike traditional planning approaches, the catchment plan "will bring together Noongar knowledge, contemporary science, community values, cultural heritage, recreation, community wellbeing and environmental restoration into a shared long-term vision" for the river and its communities.

BNAA said it hopes the work will establish a practical model for healing Country and demonstrate a transferable approach to community-led river restoration and catchment management that can be adapted and replicated in river systems across Australia.

The BBB Rangers are supported by the National Indigenous Australians Agency through the Indigenous Ranger Program. On-ground restoration is also supported through a DBCA Community Rivercare grant.