Desire for strong country and culture drives good governance

Girringun Aboriginal Corporation cares for more than one million hectares of land and sea on behalf of nine Traditional Owner groups in Far North Queensland.

Girringun has well-established ranger and biodiversity programs that employ more than 14 Indigenous men and women. The organisation maintains a successful native plant nursery and undertakes projects to enhance and rehabilitate degraded land and streams in the region. Girringun Rangers work on sea country to maintain and monitor the health of islands and coastal areas. And Girringun also has a popular high profile arts centre which employs artists whose works are exhibited nationally.

Girringun’s success is driven by the Traditional Owners and Elders’ desire to keep country, people and culture strong – something that was officially recognised last year when the corporation was awarded a Highly Commended in the 2014 Indigenous Governance Awards.

“While culture and heritage are fundamental to its governance, Girringun has also placed itself effectively in the broader community where it contributes socially, environmentally and economically,” IGA judge Marsha Milliken said.

Girringun is widely recognised for its stewardship of the land and sea on behalf of its tribal member clan estates.

It was the first Indigenous organisation in Queensland to establish an agreement with government on the sustainable harvest of marine resources, such as turtle and dugong, in the Great Barrier Reef. 

And in 2013, after comprehensive engagement with Traditional Owners regarding their vision and responsibilities for their traditional country, the Girringun Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) was declared.

Girringun IPA is only the second co-managed IPA to be declared in Australia, which means that a whole host of stakeholders from diverse backgrounds – be they private landholders, park authorities, local government and traditional owners - have come together around a unified plan for managing this significant area of Australia’s world heritage Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef ecosystems.

A great example of a partnership that Girringun has developed is with a local cane farmer, where the rangers have established an agreement to protect a traditional cemetery site on what was once a camping ground situated on the cane farm. The rangers, with Traditional Owner guidance, have cleared weeds and cleaned up the site, erected fencing and signage to show the significance of the area and to ensure that the cultural heritage of the site is protected for generations to come.

“The Girringun mob are all about looking after and managing their own country in their own way,” Girringun CEO Phil Rist said.

“We want to empower the next generation of leaders to look after their own country.”