WET TROPICS RAINFOREST ABORIGINAL PEOPLES’ CONSULTATION about CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (CNRM) 2014 Report Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples’ 2014 Feedback about Cultural and Natural Resource Management 1 This initiative was made possible through Rainforest Aboriginal peoples’ core partnerships: The Cairns Institute, School of Indigenous Australian Studies and others from James Cook University, the Wet Tropics Management Authority, CSIRO and Regional Development Australia FNQ&TS. supported by related funding from the Australian Government, the Indigenous Heritage Program of the Australian Government and its National Environmental Research Program managed through the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre. We thank Terrain NRM for commissioning Rainforest Aboriginal peoples’ input to the Wet Tropics NRM Plan. None of this would have been possible without the support of Rainforest Aboriginal people including those who participate in the core leadership group and our north, central and south quorum parties Jabalbina Yalanji, Central Wet Tropics Institute for Country and Culture and Girringun Aboriginal Corporations. nal Peop rigi les bo A t s e r o f n i a R Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples’ 2014 Feedback about Cultural and Natural Resource Management 2 We, the Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples, Traditional Owners of the Wet Tropics of Australia, pay our deep and abiding respects to our Ancestors and our Elders, whose legacy of Bama Law and Culture we carry through the present and into the future in our continuing connection to Country – its Spirits and its Dreamings – which remain intimately and inalienably related to ourselves; to our traditional and custodial lands and waters; and to all the native animals and plants therein. (Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples’ CNRM Summit, NAIDOC Week July 2010) 20 Tribal Groups – 20,000 Traditional Owners – >200 generations and 20+ years of looking after Australia's world heritage – our tropical rainforest country, culture and people –> Project 2020 This report records what Rainforest Aboriginal people across the north, central and south of Wet Tropics region country are saying at this point of time, coming up to 30 years since rainforest Aboriginal peoples’ country was inscribed on the World Heritage List with a management authority, and coming up to 15 years since the regional body for natural resource management come into being as Terrain NRM. It draws from • The 2014 on-ground engagement with Rainforest Aboriginal peoples across the 20 tribal groups, • The December 2014 Booran Gathering of the Rainforest Aboriginal peoples, • complemented with the earlier Wet Tropics Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples’ Consultation about Cultural and Natural Resource Management (CNRM) 2013 Final Report, and • analysis of Rainforest Aboriginal peoples’ developments since 2010 including the proceedings of the 2010 regional Summit, the 2012 regional Summit and the 2013 Cultural Values regional gathering. We thank all the people who contributed as individuals, partnerships, small groups and organisations, including in particular, all those persons noted in Appendix Two, and all those who have contributed over the five years since 2010. We thank Linda Leftwich, Nerelle Nicol, Anthony Penrith, Desley Thompson and Valmai Turpin as the RAPORTer team on-ground; Ken Reys and Paul Barrett and Central Wet Tropics Institute for Country and Culture Aboriginal Corporation, Maryanne Port and Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, Phil Rist and Girringun Aboriginal Corporation as the RAP Quorum group north, central and south; those RAP persons who participated along with the RAP quorum as the RAP core leadership direction setting group for the RAP 2014-15 project; and Robyn Bellafquih, Peter Cleary, Alf Joyce, Jenny Joyce, Joann Schmider and Sarah Warne as the RAP 2014-15 Project Team. We pay regard to Professor Stewart Lockie, Professor Allan Dale and Jim Turnour of The Cairns Institute James Cook University; Professor Yvonne Cadet-James and Dr Felecia Watkin of the JCU School of Indigenous Australian Studies; and Professor Bruce Prideaux JCU; CSIRO’s Dan Metcalfe, Ro Hill and Iris Bohnet; RDA FNQ&TS; WTMA’s Executive Director and staff, and Terrain NRM’s Carole Sweatman, Board and staff for your active interest, support and involvement across the work culminating in the RAP 2014-15 Project. The outcomes of the RAP 2014-15 Project include this report and other publications referenced in the text. This report is set out as Rainforest Aboriginal peoples’ input to the redevelopment of the Wet Tropics' Natural Resource Management NRM Plan. Mapping the inputs within the 5+3 Agenda enables Rainforest Aboriginal peoples and mainstream partners and stakeholders progressing, separately and together, interests and regional strategy for the Wet Tropics based on Traditional Owner custodial perspectives as the underlying and central weave for residents and visitors and for this country now shared by many, preparing for the 2020s decade ahead. Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples’ 2014 Feedback about Cultural and Natural Resource Management 3 Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples’ 2014 Feedback about Cultural and Natural Resource Management 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 5 Input from on-ground engagement ..................................................................................................... 8 Input from the Booran gathering ....................................................................................................... 15 The zone reports ..................................................................................................................................... 24 A. FEEDBACK ABOUT RAINFOREST ABORIGINAL PEOPLES’ VISIONS, VALUES AND PRIORITIES ..................................................................................................................................... 27 Theme 1. Promoting and protecting rainforest Aboriginal culture and heritage ............ 28 Theme 2. Looking after rainforest country and conservation areas .................................... 43 Theme 3. Managing reef and rainforest waters ........................................................................... 48 Theme 4. Planning and acting for the future ................................................................................ 51 Theme 5. Benefitting economically .................................................................................................. 58 Enabler 1 – Strength of Traditional Owner participation ......................................................... 67 Enabler 2 – RAP knowledge management ...................................................................................... 76 Enabler 3 – Coordinated investment partnerships ..................................................................... 82 B. CONCERNS, ISSUES, BLOCKERS AND ENABLERS ........................................................... 95 C. ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES AND DRIVERS (INCLUDING CLIMATE CHANGE) .. 101 D. DECISION MAKING POINTS OF CONTACT ..................................................................... 103 E. PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ............................................................................................. 108 APPENDIX ONE – THE ZONE REPORTS ................................................................................ 114 1 – Daintree River North To Annan River .................................................................................... 115 2 - Wangetti, north to Daintree River ............................................................................................ 120 3 - Greater Cairns - north to Wangetti, south to Edmonton (includes Yarrabah), west to Kuranda ................................................................................................................................................... 129 4 - Mareeba Region .............................................................................................................................. 139 5 - Russell and Mulgrave River Region - Gordonvale to Babinda ......................................... 149 6 - Southern Tablelands Region - Atherton, Herberton, Ravenshoe and Malanda ........ 162 7 - Lower Johnstone River – Innisfail Hinterland ...................................................................... 169 8 - Upper Herbert Region – Mount Garnet ................................................................................... 174 9 - Tully to Cardwell Region .............................................................................................................. 178 10 - Hinchinbrook Region - Lower Herbert River – Ingham / south to Rollingstone .... 184 APPENDIX TWO – THE 2014 PARTICIPANTS ..................................................................... 190 Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples’ 2014 Feedback about Cultural and Natural Resource Management 5 INTRODUCTION Input from on-ground engagement ..................................................................................................... 9 Geographic distribution Organisational roles Incorporated Traditional Owner CNRM-related entities Tribal group identification Input from the Booran gathering ....................................................................................................... 15 RAP participation The agenda Pathways forward – Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples’ Wet Tropics regional 5 +3 agenda Empowering local autonomous