For decades, hardwood timber growing on the bauxite mining leases on the western Cape York has been bulldozed and burnt in advance of mining. For most of that time, the Wik Waya people – the traditional owners of some of the area – have wanted to harvest that timber rather than see it wasted. Their objective has been to build a sustainable, commercially-viable timber industry that will contribute to better mine rehabilitation outcomes and provide opportunities for greater economic participation for local Aboriginal people well beyond the life of mining.