ReefTO and Building an Alliance

Great Barrier Reef Traditional Owner Taskforce

The Great Barrier Reef Traditional Owner Taskforce (ReefTO) is a Traditional Owner-led, grassroots initiative that honours the decades of work by Elders to assert their cultural authority and rights to sea country, and to drive genuine partnerships across the Reef. In doing so, ReefTO aims to achieve Traditional Owners’ aspirations for the health, management and protection of the Reef and interconnecting Country.

The ReefTO Taskforce has seven members, including two Co-Chairs, all of whom are Reef Traditional Owners. Established as a key recommendation of the Traditional Owner Implementation Plan, it has been operational since July 2024 and oversees delivery of the Implementation Plan while the ReefTO Alliance is being developed. The Taskforce is supported by the ReefTO Coordination Unit.

ReefTO’s 3 Key Objectives (Next 1-2 Years)

01	Engage with Traditional Owners on options for a Reef-wide and regional ReefTO Alliance and implement the preferred model.
02	Deliver strategic policy and capacity building priorities in the TO Implementation Plan.
03	Monitor and report on progress of Traditional Owner actions across the Reef.

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.

ReefTO Sea Country Alliance

Traditional Owner Elders and community leaders have been talking about the importance of unity and collective power since the 1980s. The idea of a reef-wide alliance was formally recommended in 2018 through the Traditional Owner Aspirations Project, and carried into the Reef 2050 Traditional Owner Implementation Plan as a priority action.

At the Sea Country Forum in March 2025 – the first time Reef Traditional Owners had come together in 26 years -Traditional Owners confirmed it as one of their highest priorities.

The ReefTO Alliance would bring together all Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area to create a stronger, collective voice in Reef governance, management, policy and decision-making. ReefTO is working with Traditional Owners across the Reef to shape what it looks like, what it does, and who leads it.

Building an Alliance – Our Engagement Journey

March 2025	Sea Country Forum – the formal start of engagement with Traditional Owners on the Alliance.
2025–2026	One-on-one meetings and workshops with PBCs and Traditional Owner groups across the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Now	Over 80% of Traditional Owner groups engaged – moving into the next phase.
Apr–Jun 2026	Regional Dialogues hosted across Reef regions, shaping the Alliance model with Traditional Owners.
Apr–Jun 2026	ReefYARNS webinar series giving Traditional Owners the opportunity to have their say on the Alliance.
Sept 2026	ReefTO Summit will bring together Reef Traditional Owners to make a final decision on the Alliance model, including governance, membership, and leadership.