Government-Indigenous Joint Management of Environmental Sites: 50 Years Cobourg Peninsula
Australia was the first country to designate a Wetland of International Importance under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, otherwise known as the Ramsar Convention. Cobourg Peninsula is one of 67 Australian Ramsar wetlands, and is jointly managed by the Traditional Owners of the land – Indigenous peoples – together with regional government. It sets an important precedent for recognition and respect of Indigenous rights around the world.
by Claudia Cruz Leo and Wetlands Section, DCCEEW
Fifty years ago, on 8 May 1974, Australia made history by designating Cobourg Peninsula as the world’s first Wetland of International Importance under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, otherwise known as the Ramsar Convention [1].
The Cobourg Peninsula is located in the northernmost coast of Australia’s remote Northern Territory, 560 kilometres northeast of Darwin, within the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park. The Garig Gunak Barlu National Park is a magnificent area covering approximately 220,000 hectares of diverse coastal and inland wetlands, which support a variety of plants and wildlife, including threatened species of sea turtle, the Mertens’ water monitor, as well as shorebirds such as the great knot [2].
The Cobourg Peninsula is unique not only because of its physical features, but also because of its management arrangement: the site is jointly managed by the Traditional Owners of the land who have lived in the area for over 40,000 years – the Garig and Iwaidja Arrarrkbi peoples – together with the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory (NT Parks and Wildlife Commission).
Joint management – what does it look like in practice?
Before its designation as a Ramsar Site, Garig Gunak Barlu National Park was first considered a sanctuary and later formally recognised as a national park through the Cobourg Peninsula Aboriginal Land, Sanctuary and Marine Park Act of 1981, which entered into force on 28 August 2013 [3,4].
Jointly managed national parks have a joint Board, consisting of Traditional Owners and members representing the government, in this case, the NT Parks and Wildlife Commission. Board members are paid sitting fees and usually meet “on-Country” [see Note 1], or on-site, where possible. Entities known as Land Councils assist Traditional Owners to meet their Board commitments; in Cobourg, this is called the Northern Land Council. The Board is responsible for preparing the plan of management, protecting and educating the public on how the Cobourg Peninsula may be used, determining rights of access, protecting sacred sites, and other functions as detailed in the plan of management [5].
The Traditional Owners active involvement in the protection and management of the site ensures a continued, strong cultural connection, especially by helping to preserve traditional ecological knowledge, local languages, and sustainable use practices that help protect the environment [6].
The Cobourg Peninsula’s joint management arrangement was the first of its kind in Australia and paved the way for the joint management of other sites of great environmental and cultural value. For example, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which is home to the iconic sandstone monolith Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock), is another site that is jointly managed [6,7].
Celebrating the Cobourg Peninsula
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cobourg Peninsula’s designation as the world’s first Wetland of International Importance, the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) supported two events.
The first, held in Geneva, Switzerland on the day of the anniversary, 8 May 2024, gathered the Ramsar Convention’s Secretariat and Secretary General, Dr Musonda Mumba, and over 50 representatives from other Ramsar Contracting Parties or countries.
The second event was held at Cobourg Peninsula, between 4-6 June 2024 [8]. During consultations leading up to the event, the Garig and Iwaidja Arrarrkbi Peoples noted that the most important thing was to bring people together “on-Country”. Ultimately, around 100 First Nations people with connections to the area gathered for traditional ceremony and food, celebrating the success of their joint management of the site with the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission. Dr Simon Banks, Head of Australia’s Administrative Authority for the Convention on Wetlands, Jo Townsend, CEO of NT Parks and Wildlife Commission, and the Senior District Ranger, Robert Risk, as well as representatives from the Northern Land Council, Charles Darwin University, the Northern Territory Government, Venture North and Outback Spirit (a tourism organisation that organises tours through the Peninsula) were all present and took part in the celebrations.
Additionally, Arrarrkbi Traditional Owners – Solomon Cooper and John Williams – spoke at the event and described how much the 50th anniversary meant to them. The event meaningfully featured the first traditional dance on Country in over 30 years. Dancing on Country is integral to the traditions and connections Indigenous Australians have with their lands.
Today, the Cobourg Peninsula is one of 67 Australian Ramsar wetlands, which collectively cover 8.3 million hectares. Globally, there are over 2,500 Ramsar sites covering more than 250 million hectares – its significance, both for Australia and the world, is undeniable.
Notes:
[1] “Country” is a word that holds many different meanings for First Nations people across Australia. Concepts and ideas about Country that many First Nations people share include: Country is alive. Country is timeless. And Country is us. Country is a proper noun, which is why it is usually capitalised. Indigenous Australians often refer to Country as you would a person. For example, Country is sick. Listen to Country. Country needs time to heal.References:
[1] Olivia Draycott, 2021, What You Need to Know about the RAMSAR Convention, ClimaTalk, accessed on 21 August 2024.
[2] The name of the Park is translated as Garig (a local language name for the central areas of the Peninsula), Gunak (land) and Barlu (deep water). https://nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/200069/garig-gunak-barlu-national-park.pdf accessed on 21 August 2024.
[3] Australian Government, 2011, Cobourg Peninsula Ramsar Site: Ecological Character Description, https://rsis.ramsar.org/RISapp/files/49345442/documents/AU1ECD2013.pdf, accessed on 21 August 2024.
[4] Northern Territory Government, Cobourg Peninsula Aboriginal Land, Sanctuary and Marine Park Act 1981, https://legislation.nt.gov.au/en/Legislation/COBOURG-PENINSULA-ABORIGINAL-LAND-SANCTUARY-AND-MARINE-PARK-ACT-1981, accessed on 21 August 2024.
[5] Northern Territory Government et al., 2011, Cobourg Marine Park: Plan of Management, https://rsis.ramsar.org/RISapp/files/49345442/documents/AU1_mgt210423.pdf, accessed on 21 August 2024.
[6] Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, 2021, Cobourg Peninsula and Indigenous Australians, https://www.dcceew.gov.au/water/wetlands/coburg-peninsula-indigenous-australians, accessed on 21 August 2024.
[7] Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, 2021, Park Management, https://www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/national-parks/uluru-kata-tjuta-national-park/management-and-conservation/park-management, accessed on 21 August 2024.
[8] Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, 2021, Australia celebrates 50th anniversary of the world’s first Ramsar wetland, https://www.dcceew.gov.au/about/news/australia-celebrates-50th-anniversary-worlds-first-ramsar-wetland, accessed on 21 August 2024.