Indigenous Protected Area Program

Introduced during the Jabalbina Annual General Meeting in 2009, the Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) Program, funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), has witnessed a transformative journey in discussions surrounding the dedication of lands to protection and the formulation of a comprehensive IPA management plan.

Project Achievements

The IPA Program has achieved significant milestones, including the redefinition of objectives to prioritize cultural-led management, the re-establishment of clan governance decision-making processes, and the integration of IPA across program areas and stakeholder initiatives.

The program has facilitated positive rapport through strong project management, leading to increased opportunities from funding bodies.

Deliverables:

Regular clan governance meetings with Traditional Owners
A draft EKY IPA Management Plan (soon to be finalised) that brings the 3 main clan groups together.
Extensive monitoring system embedded within the IPA program – funded by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF)
Establishing a reporting mechanism to report on the health of EKY values through data collation and dashboard projection.
Utilising the Eastern Kuku Yalanji Cultural Information Management System (EKYCIMS) to carry out Monitoring of the IPA program, link Jabalbina project activities directly to the IPA program, providing more recent and accurate account of IPA progress.

Governance Structure

Our governance structure has been captured through our IPA consultation process, and incorporates the 44 Apical Ancestors as per the Native Title Determination for Eastern Kuku Yalanji People (2007). EKY consists of 3 main clan groups. These clan groups are made up of several moiety or family groups that maintain strong cultural connection to country and have established a committee of individuals to make decisions for country, culture and community.

Engagement with these committees is paramount to achieving long-term success within the IPA, by delivering projects and programs that seek to achieve goals determined through the initial IPA consultation process from 2009-2016.