The Queensland Government is supporting First Nations’ connection to Country, offering two rounds of grants for groups to manage key land and sea environmental projects.
The Looking After Country Grants program is offering eligible projects up to $75,000 towards the work. Funds will be used to aid project related costs such as wages, training, operational equipment and administration.
Nyanda Life recently received a grant totaling $73,700 from the Looking After Country program for the second stage of its project to document traditional ecological knowledge of Yagara Country.
Another $200,000 is on offer from the Reef Assist Traditional Owner program, which aims to support environmental action to better the health of the Great Barrier Reef.
Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation Andrew Powell says both grants aim to advance employment opportunities offered to First Nations people.
“We’re delivering real, on-ground results for the Reef and diverse environmental areas while strengthening the capacity of Traditional owner groups to lead future conservation efforts,” Powell says.
The mining sector has been identifying the most resourceful way to boost Indigenous participation, now looking beyond engagement and towards collaborative approaches to reconcile the land with Traditional Owners.
As reported by Mining.com.au, a steady growth of participation within the industry is evident in recent years following the Australian Government’s Close the Gap scheme, with Western Australia alone noting a 0.4% increase since 2021.
Aboriginal Enterprises in Mining, Energy and Exploration (AEMEE) works closely with Indigenous businesses to connect them with industry players and decision makers, advocating for policy change and procurement reform.
CEO Jyi Lawton says that while progress to collaboration has been made, the country still has a long way to go to ensure genuine economic participation, self-determination, and equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“We continue to see mining agreements broken, cultural heritage destroyed, and hard-earned relationships strained, often in the pursuit of faster project approvals, extensions, and expediency. Cultural heritage reform remains well overdue, and every few months another incident reminds us of what is at stake,” Lawton tells Mining.com.au.
“We are creating a future where Indigenous businesses are not just included but respected, where cultural values are embedded in decision making, and where partnership means accountability, not just paperwork.”
AEMEE is an Indigenous-led organisation looking to advance economic empowerment, participation, and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the mining, energy, and resources sectors.
Australia is continuing its efforts to create collaborative approaches towards the reconciliation with Traditional Owners.
National Reconciliation Week is running from 27 May to 3 June, as first recognised by the Council of Aboriginal Reconciliation in 1998. This year’s theme is Bridging Now to Next, which reflects on Australia’s past, present, and future to stand together amongst adversity.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: iStock
