Quandamooka Country: The role of science and knowledge in Traditional Owner-led land and sea management

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Fischer, Mibu
Burns, Darren
Costello, Cameron
Low Choy, Darryl
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Tibbetts, Ian R

Rothlisberg, Peter C

Neil, David T

Homburg, Tamara A

Brewer, David T

Arthington, Angela H

Date
2019
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Abstract

The Quandamooka People, the Traditional Custodians of Moreton Bay, have nurtured this region and its land and sea resources for the past 25,000 plus years. Dispossessed of their Country through the colonial process, the Quandamooka People lost the ability to care for their Country. Fast forward to the Twenty-first Century, and we find the Quandamooka People, as an outcome of a Federal Court of Australia determination in 2011, are now recognised as the Traditional Owners of this land and sea country. Consequently, through their Prescribed Body Corporate (the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation [QYAC]), they are not only back on their Country but are actively involved in caring for this land and sea country. This paper outlines QYAC’s visionary and professional management approach to land and sea management. It discusses how QYAC is managing and safeguarding the Quandamooka People’s sanctuary through a philosophy of shared use that safeguards Quandamooka’s values, interests and vision. The paper introduces QYAC’s Land and Sea management philosophy, which is based on contemporary modern day management practices involving an evidence- based approach. However, what is uniquely different in the QYAC case is its move towards fostering a resurgence of Quandamooka culture and environmental protection for their land and sea country. This has resulted in some ground-breaking initiatives that have seen the blending of Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Science with Western Science to inform policy development and management decisions. Five selected case studies have been included to showcase a number of innovative management practices that demonstrate QYAC’s leadership role in its many collaborative research and management activities. The paper also describes the important role of QYAC rangers in their caring-for-Country responsibilities. The paper demonstrates that QYAC has the experience and capacity to actively lead the management of this country in a Twenty-first century manner especially as this unique area moves towards World Heritage status.

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Moreton Bay Quandamooka & Catchment: Past, Present and Future

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© 2019 The Moreton Bay Foundation. This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission.

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Environmental sciences

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Fischer, M; Burns, D; Costello, C; Low Choy, D, Quandamooka Country: The role of science and knowledge in Traditional Owner-led land and sea management, Moreton Bay Quandamooka & Catchment: Past, Present and Future, 2019, pp. 3-28

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