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Celebrating co-design: Turning aspirations into impact
The largest ever co-designed Reef protection effort setting the standard for genuine collaboration.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are Australia’s first people, who for 60,000 years have cared for their land and sea Country. They are the first scientists, farmers, engineers, innovators and conservationists. They successfully nurtured and protected their environment through changing seasons and climates, guided by traditional knowledge and customs passed down through generations.
Following colonisation, Traditional Owners were systemically excluded from Reef management decisions that affected their Country and their communities. For over 40 years, Traditional Owners have sought to remedy this with formal recognition of their inherent rights and interests in the Great Barrier Reef and its catchments.
Today, in partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Traditional Owners are at the helm of the largest ever co-designed Reef protection effort. With First Nations leadership and together with Traditional Owners, we co-designed a landmark $51.8m Traditional Owner Reef Protection program under the Australian Government’s Reef Trust Partnership. By combining traditional knowledge with western science, they’re developing and applying innovative solutions to the challenges threatening coral reefs and preserving the World Heritage values of the Reef for future generations.
The program aims to build the foundation needed for long-term, inclusive Traditional Owner governance and management of the Reef, stronger Indigenous-led processes, and a broad recognition and understanding of Indigenous cultural values. It is aiding Traditional Owners to identify projects to protect biodiversity, improve water quality and combat the impacts of climate change that threaten the Reef.
Through the program, 65 of the 72 Traditional Owner groups on the Great Barrier Reef are improving water quality, controlling the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, restoring coastal wetlands and developing culturally appropriate monitoring and reporting techniques. They’re also contributing their knowledge to the world’s largest research and development program to help the world’s coral reefs adapt to the impacts of climate change.
The true impact of this program extends beyond on-ground activities. Traditional Owners tell us they see their knowledge and expertise being valued in line with western science, and feel empowered to lead conservation efforts in their communities to heal their Country.
