We are excited to announce that Healthy Land & Water is part of a collective commitment made by all Natural Resource Management (NRM) groups across Queensland to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement and Aboriginal Cultural Heritage through the formalisation of the “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Participation Principles of Practice”.

It is the first time such a commitment has been made across Queensland’s NRM groups. The initiative emphasises how important this is to the future of the work we do.

Healthy Land & Water was proud to be a co-signatory to this important document. We are privileged to actively work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and people across the region, and eager to see our commitment to reconciliation further progress through our operations.

Some of the supporting actions being progressed by Healthy Land & Water include:

• Ensuring our recruitment and advertising processes are promoted to, and encourage, potential Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applications.
• Running an expression of interest process to identify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People who want to work with us in any of the roles undertaken by the organisation.
• Seeking suppliers who engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People as part of their workforce.
• Interweaving cultural heritage with the outcomes and impact of each of our projects.
• Following best practice Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research and Cultural Heritage and Intellectual Property protocols.
• These actions also align with key elements in our Strategic Plan and SEQ NRM Plan.

Healthy Land & Water delivers work in a region that contains the oldest archaeological sites recorded in Eastern Australia and amongst the oldest in the world.

Healthy Land & Water’s Chief Operations Officer, Dr Andrew O’Neill says effective implementation of cultural heritage protections presents exciting opportunities.

“This kind of proactive collaboration is a clear commitment to work to achieve positive outcomes for this ancient and special culture, and to empower those that proudly take it into the future,” says Dr O’Neill.

“We look forward to further recognising and celebrating the mutual benefits of working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our organisation and within our communities.”