Let's yarn about a
Sea Country Alliance
What is a Sea Country Alliance?
The Sea Country Alliance is the name we use to talk about a possible future organisation that could bring together all Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef and their Sea Country. It’s about creating a stronger collective voice that can drive real change for our people and Country. We’re not just asking for a seat at the table – we’re building our own. A Sea Country Alliance would mean Traditional Owners have greater participation and leadership in Reef governance, management, policy, and decision-making – shaping how we protect and care for Sea Country, now and into the future.
It’s a way for Traditional Owners to work together across regions, to strengthen our collective voice and drive systems change.
Where did the idea come from?
Since the 1980s and even earlier, our Elders and community leaders have been coming together to talk about the importance of unity and collective power in advocating for Sea Country rights and management.
In 2018, the Reef 2050 Traditional Owner Aspirations Project delivered a report to support Traditional Owners in securing a more “joined-up” approach to governance and management across the GBR. Following extensive engagement, one of the recommendations was to establish a “GBR Traditional Owner Sea Country Alliance” as a stand-alone entity independent from government to provide more power in advocating for the strategic interests of Reef Traditional Owners in GBR management.
Establishing a Sea Country Alliance carried over as action PC-5 in the TO Implementation Plan, and was selected by Reef Traditional Owners as one of the highest priorities for delivery at the Sea Country Forum in March 2025.
Who is deciding what the Sea Country Alliance will do and how it will operate?
You are. Our job at ReefTO is to make sure you have the information you need so you can share your views and preferences for what you think the Sea Country Alliance should do, shouldn’t do, how it should operate, how it should be structured, how decisions should be made, and who should be members.
That’s the reason we’re out yarning with Traditional Owners all up and down the Great Barrier Reef until July 2026. We want to hear what you have to say! This is your chance to shape what the future Sea Country Alliance looks like.
Get involved in the conversation
Contact our team to organise a community engagement session
Choosing the right shape for our Sea Country Alliance
Should the Sea Country Alliance be set up as a formal organisation (incorporated) with its own legal identity? Or should it be more like an informal network (unincorporated) of groups working together for a common purpose, supported by a host organisation?
Deciding what we want the Sea Country Alliance to do will play a big role in shaping its structure.
Most unincorporated coalitions or alliances operate with the support of a host organisation. It’s important to know that without a host, an unincorporated organisation cannot easily:
- Enter legal contracts, such as to employ staff and engage service providers
- Receive grants, donations, or other funding
- Demonstrate compliance or transparency with financial management
Unincorporated Alliances (Informal)
Hosts usually charge a fee for their support, and things can get tricky if their systems or priorities don’t line up with what the Alliance wants. It also takes effort to keep the relationship strong, especially if disagreements arise.
Examples of hosted alliances include:
• Coalition of Peaks (hosted by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation)
• First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance (hosted by the National Native Title Council)
• First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance (hosted by the ANU First Nations Portfolio)
• Fitzroy Catchment Traditional Owners Alliance (hosted by Greening Australia)
ReefTO is currently hosted by Pollination Foundation until the Sea Country Alliance is ready to stand on its own.
Incorporated Alliances (Formal)
Many mob-led organisations are set up as incorporated bodies, giving them their own legal identity — usually as a public company limited by guarantee (not-for-profit), like:
• Indigenous Desert Alliance
• Indigenous Carbon Industry Network
• NAILSMA (Northern Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance)
Other alliance-based not-for-profit organisations are Aboriginal Corporations registered with ORIC under the CATSI Act, such as:
• Firesticks Alliance
• Girringun Aboriginal Corporation
A Sea Country Alliance could take different shapes – from formal to informal, or even a mix of both.
The document below shows four common models used by other mob-led alliances across Australia.
“A future where we no longer fight for a seat at the table because we’ve built our own.”
Frequently Asked Questions
No, ReefTO is not an incorporated entity. One of the Taskforce’s key objectives is to engage and consult with Reef Traditional Owners on preferences for setting up a Sea Country Alliance. If that is something we as Traditional Owners confirm we want, then the Sea Country Alliance would be set up in line with Traditional Owners’ preferences.
Until then, ReefTO is hosted by Pollination Foundation until 30 June 2026, or until a Sea Country Alliance is set up. As the Host Organisation, Pollination Foundation provides the corporate services that are needed to operate (such as entering legal contracts, employing staff, and letting us use their financial, accounting and payroll systems, etc). These are important services that allow us to operate while we set up the Sea Country Alliance.
ReefTO has funding commitments from two sources to help us achieve our goals:
- The Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) provides funding for ReefTO to progress its key objectives and to deliver a set of priority strategic policy and capacity building actions in the TO Implementation Plan, including engagement on the Sea Country Alliance (~$14 million).
- The Queensland Government Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) provides funding that supports core operations, governance and systems that are critical in enabling ReefTO to function efficiently and effectively as it progresses the three key objectives (~$5.8 million). Some of these funds are supplied by DCCEEW, but disbursed by DETSI.
Pollination Foundation, as the interim Host Organisation, enters into these funding agreements on behalf of ReefTO.
Our primary audience is Traditional Owner groups that have inherent Sea Country rights in the GBR World Heritage Area. Where there is a PBC, we start there.
We’re also yarning with groups and alliances in the broader Reef Catchment to gather their views about how we should work together for the benefit of Sea Country.
No. It’d be great if as many Reef Traditional Owners groups as possible came on board – because we’re strongest when we’re united and aligned. But so long as the majority of groups that represent Reef Traditional Owners with inherent Sea Country rights in the GBR World Heritage Area indicate they want a Sea Country Alliance, then we’ll go ahead and set it up to align with how Reef Traditional Owners tell us they want it to be structured and operate.
Not if you don’t want to. It’ll be “opt-in”, so if you’re not sure at first, you can wait, learn more and see how it goes and join later if you prefer. You can also exit anytime if you don’t think it’s working for you or you’re not seeing the benefits.
Yes, definitely. A Sea Country Alliance would enhance and support existing cultural decision-making structures. It would not duplicate or interfere with local, sub-regional or regional Traditional Owner responsibilities over Sea Country rights and interests, or cultural governance/protocols. Instead, the vision is that it would provide an enhanced ability for all Reef Traditional Owners to coordinate and drive strategic policy and management outcomes that are in all our interests.
No. Any agreements or contracts related to funding, programs like Ranger groups, IPAs, TUMRAS, etc will all remain administered by you and in your direct control.
No, the opposite. It’s hoped that with our collective power we’d be able to influence agencies to flow MORE money to local Traditional Owner groups to manage and protect Sea Country. While the Sea Country Alliance may attract funding and grants to support its work, this would be at the level of strategic policy, capacity building initiatives, or other value-add activities that Reef Traditional Owners direct the Sea Country Alliance to lead.
No. You retain full autonomy and authority to conduct business related to your Sea Country in the way you want. The Sea Country Alliance would not be a “gatekeeper” between local groups and government.
That’s for you to decide! Similar organisations have established a board with representatives from different regions in the geographic area of interest. It would also need staff to deliver activities and support the governance of the organisation.
While we’re engaging with mob about what the Sea Country Alliance should look like, we’re also working on setting up a long-term fund. Once established, the interest earned would provide the core operational funds to “keep the lights on” and support good governance. We’d still need to look for further funds to support activities, but the annual interest on the long-term fund should be enough to cover basic operating costs.
For this perpetual fund (we’re using the “Future Fund” as the working title), three partners have committed $10 million each (Great Barrier Reef Foundation, DCCEEW and DETSI). ReefTO does not hold these funds – they’ll only be released if a Sea Country Alliance is set up and when protections are in place to ensure the funds are used in the future for the intended purpose.
The Sea Country Alliance could benefit TOs in lots of ways, such as:
- Empower Reef Traditional Owners by enhancing (not replacing) existing structures around cultural authority and rights-based decision-making
- Advocate and negotiate for policy change and program investment to support Reef Traditional Owners’ aspirations for Sea Country
- Share knowledge between mob and strengthen our collective capabilities in Sea Country management
- Support systems change and push for genuine co-governance in Reef management and decision-making
- Provide a platform for celebrating excellence amongst Reef Traditional Owners and sharing our achievements with other Traditional Owners in Australia