Some members of NSW’s Aboriginal Sea Country Alliance. Photos: Afterglow.
In a historic move, Aboriginal groups from Lismore to Eden have formed an alliance to push for recognition and respect of Aboriginal values and rights to sea country.
The Aboriginal Sea Country Alliance was partly formed in response to the destruction of the Great Southern Reef’s kelp forests by long-spined sea urchins. It has the skills and knowledge to fix the ecological crisis and erosion of associated cultural practices.
Dr Jodi Edwards of the University of Wollongong was among those who addressed the NSW Parliament.
“These barrens are not just environmental scars. They are cultural wounds,” she said.
The alliance is calling on the NSW and Federal governments to provide adequate resources to actively restore the reef and manage the coastal marine environment, so creating economic opportunities.
Walbunja traditional custodian Wally Stewart from Narooma was instrumental in forming the alliance.
“We have identified the problem, built the plan and trained the people,” he said. “All that’s missing is action.”
The alliance was formed in Sydney on 15 October. Later that day it presented its demands to NSW Parliament.
Marine ecologist and researcher Cayne Layton, Jo Lane of Sea Health Products, Wally Stewart and University of Wollongong’s Associate Professor Tillmann Boehme speaking at NSW Parliament.
It also screened the documentary White Rock to an audience of 120.
The documentary explains how long-spined sea urchin numbers have exploded amid warming seas and the decline of natural predators. Over-grazing by the urchins has reduced the life-supporting kelp forests to barren white rock. The documentary explains that Aboriginal people have the knowledge and trained workforce to start large-scale reef restoration in partnership with industry and scientists.
The alliance has formed partnerships with the University of Wollongong, Sea Health Products and the Great Southern Reef Foundation, among others.
Tilba marine scientist and conservationist Jo Lane’s business Sea Health Products has a hatchery ready to provide kelp seed stock for restoration projects.
Mr Stewart has been lobbying communities on the coast regarding climate change and what is happening to the ocean. “We are all connected by the East Coast Current and need to work together.”
He was inspired to form the alliance after seeing the effectiveness of the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance and the Victorian Sea Country Partnership. They resulted in Aboriginal communities having meaningful say in the management of their waters, plus economic self-determination.
Gunditjmara custodian Wal Saunders led the formation of the Victorian Sea Country Partnership and Salt Water Council in 2022.
“Wally heard about what I had done and how we formed a partnership, and he wanted to know how we did it,” Mr Saunders said.
He was a guest speaker when the alliance members, along with scientists and academics, gathered at University of Wollongong’s Sydney campus in October.
Member for Bega Dr Michael Holland and Greens MP Sue Higginson.
Mr Saunders said Aboriginal involvement had been embedded in Victoria’s marine and coastal strategy since 2022 to the extent that the strategy collapses without them.
“The State Government did that because we have a policy of self-determination,” he said. “That is not the case in NSW.”
Mr Saunders said the formation of alliances led Parks Australia to focus on involving Aboriginal people in management. The plan released funding and led to meaningful employment opportunities.
After a 7.5-hour Sea Country Partnership development workshop, the Aboriginal groups, including land councils, traditional custodians and Aboriginal corporations, unanimously passed two resolutions.
The first was to form an alliance that would insist the Federal and NSW governments and their agencies recognise and respect Aboriginal values and rights to sea country and access to sea country resources.
The second demanded the resources to be involved in the reef’s restoration, marine coastal management and economic self-determination.
After reading the resolutions to parliament and screening White Rock, the alliance gave Greens MP Sue Higginson and Member for Bega Dr Michael Holland a package detailing everything the group had done that day and the outline of the plan to restore the reef.
“We have been on this for years. We have the plan,” Mr Stewart said. “The only thing holding us up is funding.”
He said the Federal Government needed to come on board and release some money from the $55 million fund that a 2023 Senate Inquiry recommended be set up to combat the urchin problem. The alliance will lobby Federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister Malarndirri McCarthy and Environment Minister Murray Watts for meetings before year-end.
The alliance also presented a $23 million three-part proposal for NSW. It said it aligned with the Closing the Gap framework and the NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy and offered immediate environmental and social benefits.
“We only have a window of opportunity to act,” Mr Stewart said.
