- Four First Nations groups are sharing in $200,000 in funding to protect their cultural values on Cape York
- The funding will help enable Traditional Owner groups to undertake cultural heritage assessments of their Country, which may support future National or World Heritage listing
Four First Nations groups are sharing in $200,000 in funding from the Palaszczuk Government to help progress areas of Cape York towards heritage listing with the free prior and informed consent of First Nations peoples.
The four successful funding recipients and their projects are:
- Western Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation – Palmerville Limestone Research
- Assessing Balnggarrawarra Country for National Heritage Listing – Balnggarrawarra Country
- Muunthiwarra Aboriginal Corporation – Cultural Heritage on Muunthi Country
- Binthi Land Holding Group Aboriginal Corporation – Increasing the Footprint of Binthi's National Heritage Listing Nomination
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Environment and Science, Leanne Linard:
"This NAIDOC Week, we celebrate and acknowledge Aboriginal culture as one of the oldest living cultures in the world. It is important that we recognise its unique significance and support First Nations peoples to protect it as we continue along the Path to Treaty.
"The funding will help Traditional Owners conduct cultural heritage assessments to support the potential heritage nominations and the recognition and protection of the outstanding cultural and natural values of the Cape for current and future generations.
"The Palaszczuk Government's funding enables Traditional Owner groups to seize the opportunity to engage in National or World Heritage listing."
Quotes attributable to Member for Cook Cynthia Lui:
"Cape York Peninsula features some of the most striking landscapes of unsurpassed beauty, including river systems, wetlands, rainforests and beaches.
"The region supports rich flora and fauna, including species endemic to the region, and it is culturally important to our Traditional Owners, who have had a strong connection to Country spanning tens of thousands of years."
Quotes attributable to Binthi Land Holding Group Aboriginal Corporation spokesperson, Ramona McIvor:
"The funding is significant for our corporation and other Traditional Owners to help us strengthen the protection and management of the cultural and natural values, and Indigenous heritage of the Cape York region.
"It will inspire other Traditional Owners to get involved in protecting and caring for their Country, not just in Queensland, but throughout Australia.
"I would like to see Cape York's natural and cultural values and Indigenous Heritage receive stronger protection, which National or World Heritage listing can do.
"The Cape York region is important to First Nations people, and its preservation is what our ancestors wanted, and what Elders and current generations are working towards.
"We want to share our stories to give everyone an understanding of traditional management techniques and our history and connection to these areas.
"Attaining National Heritage or World Heritage listing will strengthen heritage protections and management practices of the 'Outstanding Values' on our country, and the recognition will put us on the map.
"Our Binthi motto is 'Binthi Warra Bamaa-ngay, Bubu Thana-ngan-ngu, Dabarrgu Ngarra-thinhu, Magu-badaaygu – Forever Protecting and Respecting the Sacredness of our Land'."
