Rainforest Aboriginal people to have say on Wet Tropics

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RAINFOREST Aboriginal people are to be given more say in how the Wet Tropics of Queensland is managed.

The Wet Tropics Management Authority, the statutory body established under the Wet Tropics World Heritage Protection and Management Act 1993, and Terrain NRM, a not-for-profit environmental management organisation that is one of Australia’s leading natural resource management bodies, have partnered to form a new Indigenous advisory committee.

Authority’s board chairwoman Chrissy Grant (right) said the authority and Terrain NRM had “identified a critical need for a coordinated approach to ensure the rights, interests and priorities of rainforest Aboriginal peoples are included in the planning, design and delivery of organisational plans, policies, and programs at a strategic level.”

“The boards of both organisations have approved a proposal to establish a skills-based committee to advise on the strategic and operational priorities across the Wet Tropics biocultural region,” she said.

Terrain NRM board director Barry Hunter said the committee was “not expected to be representative and will not replace any existing committees”.

“The boards and the organisations will continue to engage with rainforest Aboriginal peoples on issues that matter to them as we do now,” he said.

“This non-statutory advisory committee is being established to ensure the views, interests and aspirations of rainforest

Aboriginal peoples are included in the delivery of strategic plans and programs of the authority and terrain.

“To reduce duplication of effort for rainforest Aboriginal peoples and strengthen coordination, the two organisations would like to establish this group together,” Mr Hunter said.

Expressions of interest from rainforest Aboriginal peoples to join the committee will be called from next month.