QLD: Rainforest Aborigines to be part of wet tropics management

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2004
QLD: Rainforest Aborigines to be part of wet tropics management

By Lloyd Jones

CAIRNS, April 18 AAP - Rainforest Aboriginal groups in Queensland have reached a landmark
agreement on a structure to give them a greater say in management of the Wet Tropics World
Heritage Area.

Delegates from 26 tribal groups from Cooktown south to Paluma have voted for an Aboriginal
Rainforest Council to deal with federal and state government agencies charged with managing
the heritage area.

The agreement follows a three-day workshop that ended today at Lake Tinaroo on the
Atherton Tablelands.

Allison Halliday, co-chair of the Aboriginal Negotiating Team, said the agreement would
lead to meaningful involvement of Aboriginal people in the world heritage area management.

The new statutory rainforest council would represent more than 20,000 Aboriginal people
in the wet tropics region of Queensland.

It was hoped the workshop, attended by about 150 Aboriginal delegates, would pave the
way for the official signing of the Wet Tropics Regional Agreement with government officials
by July.

When finalised, the regional agreement would mean the advice of rainforest Aboriginal
groups would have to be taken into account when making heritage area management decisions.

Ms Halliday said the agreement was the first of its kind in Australia and could become
a model for other indigenous partnerships that had to deal with a range of government
departments.

Jim Petrich, the government-appointed facilitator for the negotiations, said it was
a trailblazing agreement and today was one of the most satisfying of his life.

He said it was probably the first time such a large number of Aboriginal tribal groups
had achieved such a regional agreement.

AAP ldj/sjb/bwl

KEYWORD: RAINFOREST

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