The strong ongoing links between Traditional Owners and their sea country was recognised in the Great Barrier Reef’s world heritage listing and contributes to its Outstanding Universal Value. The cultural and ecological knowledge of Traditional Owners will be essential to delivering the Reef 2050 Plan, which is the blueprint for protecting and managing the Reef and designed to be implemented in collaborative partnership.
Out of the 70 actions in the Reef 2050 Plan, 23 specifically relate to Traditional Owners. The Reef 2050 Plan Investment Framework identifies Traditional Owner actions under the Plan as one of the 6 priority areas for future investment.
In 2017 the Australian Government commissioned a consortium of Indigenous and research organisations to engage with Great Barrier Reef Traditional Owners to better understand and reflect their aspirations for the Great Barrier Reef and deliver on existing commitments. The final report from this work, Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef: The Next Generation of Reef 2050 Actions, will inform the comprehensive review of the Reef 2050 Plan which is due for completion in 2020.
In 2016, the Gidarjil Development Corporation consulted with Traditional Owners to develop a Reef 2050 Indigenous Implementation Plan.
Related work has also been funded under the Tropical Water Quality Hub of the National Environmental Science Program: Project 3.9 Traditional Owners and Sea Country in the Southern Great Barrier Reef – Which Way Forward?
Further information
- Read more about the Reef 2050 Plan
- Read more about the Reef 2050 Plan Investment Framework
- Read the report Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef: The Next Generation of Reef 2050 Actions
- Read more about the Reef 2050 Indigenous Implementation Plan
- Read more about the Tropical Water Quality Hub