by woppaburra
Woppaburra people were the recipients of the prestigious 2024 First Nations Landcare Collaboration award for their work with the Reef Authority and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Joint field management team.
Aunty Valmai Smith, a respected Woppaburra woman said it’s great recognition for the
Woppaburra TUMRA organisation and the hard work we’ve done.
“Our whole community has worked hard over several years to develop best practices methods of
caring for country using both scientific and cultural knowledge,” Aunty Valmai said.
The Woppaburra TUMRA Aboriginal Corporation was established in 2007, originally under a
Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement (TUMRA) with the Reef Authority and QPWS, being
the first offshore agreement of its kind. After setting the foundations, it has substantially expanded
its operations in the last few years to include an office and ranger base, and currently employs 8-10
people in varying capacities.
The Woppaburra people’s Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement (TUMRA) covers the
Keppel Islands and surrounding sea country. Under the agreement the Woppaburra people have
continued to develop and implement important sea country management initiatives in partnership
with marine management agencies such as Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and the Reef Authority.
In addition, they are also engaged in substantial research with the Australian Institute of Marine
Science, CSIRO, Great Barrier Reef Foundation and a number of universities. Our Sea-country rangers currently work with scientists and researchers to understand and manage the coral reef and seagrass ecosystems in the southern Great Barrier Reef region. Chairperson Dr. Sonny Van Issum says that as traditional custodians we have an obligation to look after our land and sea-country, this includes collaborations with our partners.
“The reason we have been so successful is our ability to partner with supportive departments and
collaborators giving us the ability to access and rehabilitate our country for our people and the
broader public” Sonny said.
The Woppaburra are also working closely with Livingstone Shire Council and Department of State
Development, Infrastructure and Planning on many aspects of the recently released GKI Concept
Masterplan to revitalise and rejuvenate the island environment.
People are Rob Muir (WTAC Director & Project Manager), Aunty Val Smith (WTAC director), Dr. Sonny Van Issum (WTAC Chairperson), Councillor Andrea Friend, Deb Witteman (WTAC Ranger Supervisor), Dave Orgill (QPWS) & Jason Ramsamy (Reef Authority)