Cooperation between TWS and ACDF to deliver Aboriginal WildCountry project in Southern Australia

The Wilderness Society Inc
Aboriginal Cultural Development Foundation (SA)
Media Release
12th December 2006

The Wilderness Society and the Aboriginal Cultural Development Foundation have signed an agreement to work together for protection of the natural and cultural values of a vast stretch of traditional lands in southern Australia.

The partners will develop the Dhoogoor Yuara WildCountry Landscape Project in an effort to safeguard and reconnect the ecology of this region.

The Cooperation Agreement, signed at Rocky Moor on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, focuses on an area stretching over 40 million hectares — an arc from western Victoria across to the Nullarbor Plain, and beyond into the Great Western Woodlands of WA.

The Wilderness Society has identified the region as a priority for landscape protection through its WildCountry program, which involves protecting the best of what is left of Australia's natural environment, and maintaining and restoring ecological connections in the landscape.

The region is of social, cultural, spiritual, historical and ecological importance for members of the Aboriginal Cultural Development Foundation, including Barngarla, Mirning, Ramindjeri and Peramangk people, and these groups are committed to protection of their traditional lands and their cultural heritage.

The parties agree that Aboriginal conservation benefits all Australians and will seek support for this from governments, private enterprise, research and education institutes, landholders and the community. We will also work towards social development based on a 'conservation economy' and regional and community partnerships.

The agreement is a commitment by TWS and ACDF to support Aboriginal conservation efforts and the environmental goals of the wider community. The groups will combine their resources to facilitate integrated research, conservation and management of the ecology of the region.

Key points regarding the Cooperation Agreement between TWS and ACDF

• The agreement was signed on the 7th December 2006, at Rocky Moor in Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. It is based on a similar agreement developed by TWS and Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation (a northern Kaanju traditional owner organisation in Cape York Peninsula, Qld) and entered into in June 2005;
  
• The focus of this new agreement and the Dhoogoor Yuara WildCountry Landscape Project is an area of land and sea in southern Australia - from Victoria to Western Australia - covering around 40 million hectares;
  
• This area contains a mix of tenures, including existing nature reserves, aboriginal reserves, an Indigenous Protected Area, leasehold and freehold land, and unallocated crown land;
  
• There are significant Indigenous cultural and social connections across the entire region, and extensive native title claims from the various Aboriginal groups - claims are over both land and sea;
  
• The Aboriginal Cultural Development Foundation and The Wilderness Society acknowledge all the Traditional Owners of the region, and accept "that we share a responsibility to work with them to preserve, protect and manage the environment for the benefit of future generations";
  
• There are a variety of other 'stakeholders' in the region and TWS and ACDF will seek alliances and partnerships for the purpose of 'caring for country' and protecting nature;
  
• Key initiatives TWS and ACDF will work on include:
  (1) A Nullarbor 'wilderness' nomination coupled with advocacy to reform SA Wilderness Act to recognise and include Indigenous rights and interests in the tenure and management of the wilderness area;
  (2) 'Conservation economy' pilot projects including existing or planned ACDF initiatives around spring water with natural fluoride, feral bee management, bush foods and medicine plants;
  (3) Cultural heritage protection and recording;
  (4) Land acquisition and environmental restoration projects.