Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek talks to Cape York Traditional Owners ahead of the 20 June announcement at the Cairns Botanic Gardens that seven sites had been put forward for tentative World Heritage listing. Photo: Lyndon Keane.
Traditional Owners from across Cape York have offered mixed reactions to the 20 June reveal of which seven local sites had been presented to UNESCO for tentative World Heritage listing.
It was announced last week that Alwal National Park, KULLA (McIlwraith Range) National Park, Ma’alpiku (Restoration Island) National Park, Olkola National Park, Oyala Thumotang National Park, Wuthathi (Shelburne Bay) National Park and Quinkan Country had been nominated by the state and federal governments following a consultation process with Traditional Owners of the land.
Southern Kaantju Traditional Owner Allan Creek praised the tentative listing submission and said it meant the Country would be able to more effectively protected.
“I’m a Southern Kaantju Elder through a straight line from my father, his father and his father,” he said.
“Me and most of my family live on our Country and we look after it.
“I was involved in the World Heritage talks and the meetings; I reckon World Heritage will be good, because it gives us more chance to look after the Country how we need to look after it, forever, so we don’t have to bend this way and that way every time the government change their mind or a big company tells us what we need to do.”
The sentiment was not shared by Mapoon Traditional Owner Jack Wilkie-Jans, who slammed the consultation process as a “smoke and mirrors” strategy designed to “elicit manufactured consent”.
While his Country has not yet been considered for World Heritage listing, Mr Wilkie-Jans said he believed too many questions remained regarding how land would be managed if such status was granted.
“There are many unanswered questions, but finding out how this will impact on peoples’ ongoing land uses, economy and future sustainable developments is a big one”, he said.
One Olkola Traditional Owner, who spoke to Cape York Weekly on the condition of anonymity, expressed concern about the impact World Heritage status could have on emerging Indigenous businesses on Country.
“I think it’s good and we need to protect our Country, but I’m not totally sold,” they explained.
“Will this (World Heritage listing) stop us from doing tourism business or other new business on our Country?
“The government mob needs to tell us that; there are too many unknown things at the moment.”
One Olkola Traditional Owner has told Cape York Weekly they are not “totally sold” on the push to have parts of the region, including their Country, designated as World Heritage sites. Photo: Supplied.
