Traditional Owner
Implementation Plan

The Traditional Owner Implementation Plan outlines actions to achieve Traditional Owners’ aspirations for the Great Barrier Reef as part of the Reef 2050 Plan. It brings Traditional Owner actions together from a cross the Reef 2050 Plan into a cohesive framework for implementation.

The Reef 2050 Traditional Owner Implementation Plan is About:

  • Delivering on Traditional Owner priorities - bringing Traditional Owners actions across the Reef 2050 Plan together in one place
  • Honouring the past and looking into the future - ensuring the work of our Elders is respected and their voices are not lost
  • Recognising our inherent rights, interests, obligations and aspirations as Traditional Owners and Custodians of the Great Barrier Reef and that Country and People are one
  • Accountability - ensuring actions are appropiriately resourced, their progress tracked and implementation is reported on as part of the Australian and Queensland government's obligations to protect the Reef
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The Plan’s vision is:

“In 2050 the Great Barrier Reef is sustained as a living natural and cultural wonder of the world”

Our people, our Traditional Owners

The aim of the Reef 2050 Traditional Owner Implementation Plan was to bring together Traditional Owner Actions from across the Reef 2050 Plan into one place and provide a cohesive framework and narrative to guide implementation.

A Steering Group was established to guide the process of bringing Traditional Owner actions into cohesive framework with clear implementation pathways. The Steering Group also provided guidance of the development of communication products for Traditional Owners about the Reef 2050 Plan and its role in advancing Traditional Owner aspirations.

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Work areas

Climate Change

01

Land & Coast

02

Sea Country

03

Partnership & Capacities

04

Knowledge Systems

05

Investment
 

06

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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and their deep and ongoing connections to Country. We acknowledge their continuing custodianship and shared efforts to care for and protect Country and pay our respects to Elders past and present.

Artwork by Josie Olbar “Dulngku” (Reef) with Saltwater People © 2022

Climate Change

Actions reflect a community-based approach to tackling climate change. They include developing educational resources to showcase projects and guide work; implementing practical actions to reduce emissions and make electricity more affordable; and financing initiatives to support ongoing employment and enterprise development around caring for Country.

Land & Coast
Actions are about reducing threats to the Reef from activities on the land and protecting and healing Country. They’re about Traditional Owners having a greater role in the governance, design and delivery of programs to improve the health of freshwater, wetlands mangroves, estuaries, beaches and shorelines.
Sea Country
Actions are about reducing threats from water-based activities and protecting and healing sea Country. They’re about implementing Country-based management models, stronger partnerships, better agreement making and having more Indigenous Rangers on the water. They include actions around reforming fisheries, controlling pests, reducing marine debris, and helping Country to recover from climate-related disturbances like cyclones and coral bleaching.
Partnership & Capacities
Actions focus on building genuine partnerships and growing capacity to help realise Traditional Owner aspirations for co-governance and greater involvement in the day-to-day management of the Reef. This work area looks at how Traditional Owner rights, interests and responsibilities are incorporated in current management arrangements and outlines pathways to increase and empower Traditional Owners’ role in protecting and caring for the Reef.
Traditional Knowledge

Actions focus on supporting Traditional Owners to document their knowledge and practices, record information on cultural values and safeguard and manage their heritage. They include implementing the Strong Peoples-Strong Country Framework through community-based pilot projects and exploring value-for-money options and alternate business models to delivering monitoring programs on Country. With our knowledge, Traditional Owners are in a prime position to tell our own stories to the world.

Investment
Actions focus on scoping tasks and costing actions within the plan and securing funds for their implementation. They include seeking a minimum 10% Traditional Owner funding allocation across major Reef-related government programs; establishing a Reef Traditional Owners future fund; developing an innovation strategy and actions to boost investment through partnerships, co-investment and sustainable financing initiatives.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live, and recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respects to Elders past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website may contain images or names of people who have since passed away.

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