HEALING WUTHATHI NGAACHI (LAND)
& KARAKARA (SEA) COUNTRY

^{Story created in collaboration with Wuthathi Traditional Owners.}

The Wuthathi people have been working toward returning to their Ngaachi (land) in the Cape York area for decades. Through recent projects like the Wuthathi Wetlands Capacity Building and Monitoring Project, they’ve been able to start the important activities needed to re-establish a permanent presence on Country and start healing it.

The project is one of two that the Wuthathi Aboriginal Corporation (WAC) is conducting as part of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Healthy Water Program. Developed by Traditional Owners for Traditional Owners, the program creates opportunities for Indigenous groups to lead and be funded for Healthy Water projects across the Great Barrier Reef and its Catchments. In August 2022, WAC and other Traditional Owner grant recipients provided updates on their projects at the inaugural Healthy Water Forum.

For the Wuthathi Wetlands Capacity Building and Monitoring Project, eight Traditional Owners are working on wetland and water monitoring on Country. The project involves conducting field surveys and training in water quality monitoring, use and maintenance of monitoring equipment, and identifying and recording significant cultural values. Additionally, surveys conducted at the end of the wet and dry seasons provide a baseline that assists with identifying threats to wetland health, prioritising wetlands for management actions like weed and feral animal controls, and for measuring future changes.

The second project is an evolution of the first and cements Traditional Owner capacity, skills and understanding with the permanent stationing of Rangers on Country at Shelburne Bay. This iteration of the project is also building the capacity of Elders to monitor and assess wetlands and water quality, providing a baseline of data to begin to implement the Wuthathi Healthy Country Plan and Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) Plan.

Projects like these are developing the tools, resources and skills needed to elevate Traditional Owners to the forefront of water management in Reef Catchments. They also create an opportunity to ‘reset’ the water quality discussion and ensure that Traditional Owner values and priorities are being considered, and included, in future water quality management plans for the Great Barrier Reef.

Find out more about the Wuthathi Aboriginal Corporation at www.wuthathi.com.au