managing aboriginal activities in the cape byron marine park, australia
DESCRIPTION
Presentation at the Ocean Management Research Network meetings, Ottawa, October, 2009TRANSCRIPT
Managing Aboriginal Activities in the Cape Byron Marine Park
, NSW, Australia
D. Lloyd1, A. Page2 and R.J. Payne3
1 School of Environmental Science and Management, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia; 2 Manager, Cape Byron Marine Park, Byron Bay, NSW Australia; and,
3 School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.
Ocean Management Research Network ConferenceUniversity of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario
October 21 – 24, 2009
Managing Aboriginal Activities in the CBMP
Background: Creating the Structure for Management
Cape Byron Marine Park
Arakwal National Park
Aboriginal people
Marine Park Management
Zoning plan
Lessons learned
Managing Aboriginal Activities in the CBMP
Background
Cape Byron Marine ParkEstablished in 2002, under the 1997 NSW Marine Parks Act
37 kms from north to south, tidal lands and waters on the land side, and the 3 mile limit (state waters) on the seaward side: 22,000 ha.
Based on a 2001 bio-regional assessment of marine ecosystems
Zoning plan completed in 2006
Originally managed under a joint NSW National Parks and Wildlife department/Fisheries department authority, but now (as of 2008) under National Parks and Wildlife
Management advisory committee includes aboriginal representative
Ranger positions for aboriginal people
Managing Aboriginal Activities in the CBMP
Background
Arakwal National ParkCreated in 2001 after 7 years of discussions with NSW government and local people
Created by an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) between the state and the Arakwal people
Co-managed by NSW National Parks and Wildlife and Arakwal people
Two nearby protected areas: Cape Byron itself and Tyagarah
Managing Aboriginal Activities in the CBMP
Background
Aboriginal peopleArakwal people of the Bundjalung language group
1997 negotiated Native Title Agreement with NSW state government
Negotiated three ILUAs
First in 2001 → Arakwal NP
Second in 2003 with Byron Shire Council concerning the Broken Head caravan park
Third in 2006 with the shire council where land at Taylor Lake would become part of the NP: a sacred area for women and therefore culturally significant
A proposed 4th ILUA for marine park not yet completed, but an MOU was negotiated in 2007
Managing Aboriginal Activities in the CBMP
Marine Park Management
Zoning plan2006
Aboriginal involvement from the beginning
Inclusion of 4 “special purpose” zones: culturally significant sites
Two lakes as well as “Julian Rocks” and “Three Sisters” (off Broken Head)
Julian Rocks: a hill before sea level rise, with burial sites
Three Sisters: representing creatures from the Dreamtime in the Bundjalung view of creation
Managing Aboriginal Activities in the CBMP
Lessons learned
Cape Byron MP, based on a bio-regional assessment of the NSW coast by NSW government → towards a system of representative MPAs
Establishment of terrestrial protected areas → a local system of protection that blurs land-sea distinctions
Land title agreement between Arakwal people and state and local governments → another highly significant structural dimension
ILUAs depend upon the land title agreement
Zoning plan for CBMP built upon the agreement and ILUAs
Role of Byron Shire Council
Importance of former regional director in NSW National Parks and Wildlife who had the vision of this locally-integrated system
-> Bio-regional governance?
Managing Aboriginal Activities in the CBMP
ReferencesByron Shire Council (n.d.) Native Title and Reconciliation [URL: http://www.byron.nsw.gov.au
/aboriginal/native-title].
NSW, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, 2009a. Arakwal indigenous land use agreements [URL: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/comanagement/Arakwal.htm]
_____________, 2009b. Aboriginal co-management of parks [URL: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/comanagement/index.htm].
NSW, Marine Parks Authority, 2003. Background Resource Working Paper for the Cape Byron Marine Park. Sydney: Marine Parks Authority.
_____________, (n.d.). Cape Byron Marine Park [URL: http://www.mpa.nsw.gov.au/cbmp.html].