Congratulations to Mamu Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (MAC) on their recent funding success. MAC were one of seven traditional owner groups in Australia to be successful in accessing funding for their Indigenous Protected Areas Plan. 

The Morrison Government is expanding its world leading network of Indigenous Protected Areas (IPA), where Traditional Owners and traditional land management practices protect natural environments and native species, while creating opportunity for Indigenous Australians.

Mamu applied for planning and consultation funding to look at placing 1096 ha of their native title lands into the National Reserve System (NRS). Mamu People will be working towards a strong and sustainable plan to protect and preserve their Country for environmental, cultural, social and economic outcomes for their mob. They will be working in partnership with The Department of Environment and Energy (Federal Government), Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services (QPWS), Terrain NRM, Wet Tropics Management Authority and local Councils, Cassowary Coast Regional Council, Tablelands Regional Council and Cairns Regional Council.

MAC are looking forward to working closely with other groups to start their own traditional owner ranger group to work alongside and support their already established Mamu Environmental Services Team. This is an exciting time for Mamu People. They have almost completed their Country Plan, which will work into their IPA Plan.

We dedicate our success to our Elders, who had the vision and the drive to fight for native title for almost 20 years, and then to guide us towards working together as One Mob for One Country. We are proud of the direction we are going and we look forward to protecting and preserving our Country for our future generations”, said Jennifer Joyce Daley, MAC Director. “We would like to congratulate the other six groups who were successful in the same funding round.”

Funded through the second phase of the National Landcare Program, MAC and six other Indigenous groups will receive grants to support community consultation and planning activities, before making a final decision on whether to dedicate their land and/or sea country as an IPA. Under the proposals, the IPA network would increase to over 100 million hectares, an area similar to the size of South Australia, increasing the scale of what is already the world’s largest IPA network by 28 per cent (currently 67 million hectares).

Mamu’s proposed IPA includes foothills and coastal wetlands, ranges, islands, World Heritage listed national parks and sea country within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The area is considered a hotspot for Australian possum diversity and also supports a significant number of threatened species including the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 listed Southern Cassowary and the Ant Plant (Myrmecodia beccarii), one of 30 plants prioritised under Australia’s Threatened Species Strategy. A major focus for the Mamu people will be to develop co-management arrangements for national parks to be included in the IPA.

According to the Morrison Government, the IPAs will also deliver social and cultural benefits including employment for Indigenous Land and Sea Managers, knowledge transfer between generations, support for language and culture and Indigenous role models for youth.

Congratulations Mamu Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC!