Yodie Batzke (née Dewis) is a proud Wuthathi woman from the Cape York Peninsula, with ancestral ties to Boigu Island (also known as Malu Kiyay or Malu Kiwai), part of the Kalau Kawau Ya language group of the Top Western Torres Strait Islands. Her dual heritage connects her deeply to both land and sea Country. This cultural identity has shaped her advocacy, community leadership, and most importantly, how she and her husband of 36 years, Hans, raise their four children and six grandchildren with a strong sense of identity and purpose.
In 1996, she founded MSJB Consulting, a small business focused on community development, training, policy and strategy, intercultural awareness, pre-employment support, mentoring, and event management. Yodie’s journey in Indigenous politics began in 1999 when she was elected Chairperson of the Queanbeyan Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Regional Council Chairperson, where she served for three years. In this role, she held several Ministerial appointments in ACT and NSW on housing, health, sea rights, youth engagement, and economic development.
In 2009, Yodie returned to Cairns to support her family’s Wuthathi Native Title claim and was later appointed Director representing the Nara Jira Para Apical Family group on the Wuthathi Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC. Her deep knowledge of land and sea issues also led to her 2010 Ministerial appointment to the Cape York Scientific Management Committee under the Cape York Heritage Act. Since 2022, Yodie has served in various roles at Wuthathi Aboriginal Corporation, including Community Research Assistant, Governance Officer, Women’s Project Officer (Interim), Junior Ranger Project Officer (Interim), and currently Raine Island Project Officer. In 2024, she was appointed to a three-year Ministerial role with the Cape York Local Marine Advisory Committee as a Traditional Owner representative.
Yodie is also an ordained Reverend with the Southern Cross Association of Churches and the founder of YBatzke Itinerant Ministry (International Speaker), Feiva Global Inc., and Women of Feiva International Network. Feiva Global, based in Cairns, operates outreaches in Yarrabah, St Pauls Village on Moa Island, and Port Moresby, PNG. Yodie is looking forward to working with fellow Task Force colleagues to ensure Traditional Owners have a strong voice in the future stewardship of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage estate.