Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch has launched a petition in response to the recent World Heritage tentative listing that calls for “action from every member of our community who believes in Cape York’s right to self-determination, local governance and the rights of our Indigenous people and their land”. Photo: Supplied.
Concerns about the transparency behind the recent Cape York World Heritage tentative listing submission have triggered a “call for action” and launch of a petition by Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch.
Using Parliamentary privilege, the veteran MP flagged his concerns with the House of Representatives on 2 July, asking how the government believed UNESCO could do a better job than Traditional Owners of managing the proposed sites and suggesting the consultation undertaken to date was “arguably misleading”.
“State and federal Labor governments have recently progressed the proposal, and I, along with many others, have great reservations about what might occur if they succeed in securing a World Heritage listing,” he said.
“Cape York is undeniably a treasure, rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage; it is a landscape that demands respect and careful stewardship.
“The approach proposed by the government to enlist this region under the auspices of UNESCO is not only flawed, but potentially detrimental to the communities that call it home.
“For decades, Indigenous communities have fought tirelessly to reclaim and secure land rights; these efforts and struggles are now being undermined.
“Both state and federal Labor governments have effectively sidelined these communities in favour of an international body; they are ignoring their voices, from what I understand, arguably misleading them and diminishing their control on their ancestral lands.”
At a joint press conference in Cairns on 20 June, the state and federal governments announced seven Cape York sites had been submitted to UNESCO for tentative World Heritage listing: Alwal National Park, KULLA (McIlwraith Range) National Park, Olkola National Park, Ma’alpiku (Restoration Island) National Park, Oyala Thumotang National Park, Wuthathi (Shelburne Bay) National Park, and Quinkan Country near Laura.
Mr Enstch slammed the plan to hand control of parts of Cape York to UNESCO, arguing its member nations “do not share our direct connection to the land, nor do they fully understand the complexities and challenges unique to Cape York”.
He added community concern around the narrow scope of stakeholder consultation in forming the tentative submission had led to the creation of a petition demanding a genuine plan to protect the region’s environmental and economic future.
“This petition will call for action from every member of our community who believes in Cape York’s right to self-determination, local governance and the rights of our Indigenous people and their land,” Mr Entsch told Parliament.
“I believe the people of Cape York do not need international entities dictating how they should manage their local environmental and cultural heritage.
“The stewardship of Cape York should be characterised by inclusivity and respect for all voices, not just those the government or UNESCO have received a warm reception from.
“Our goal must be to protect our environment, while ensuring that the community thrives economically and culturally.”
Veteran MP Warren Entsch has asked how UNESCO is best positioned to protect Cape York’s environmental and cultural heritage when Traditional Owners have been doing it effectively for millennia. Photo: Lyndon Keane.
