Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council: an Indigenous cultural approach to collaborative water governance

Anne Poelina*, Kathrine S. Taylor, Ian Perdrisat

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    63 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    In 2016, Traditional Owners came together to discuss their collective vision for the Martuwarra, expressed in the Fitzroy River Declaration. Traditional Owners established the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council (MFRC) as a collective governance model to maintain the spiritual, cultural and environmental health of the catchment. Traditional Owners advocate a collaborative approach for an inclusive water governance model and catchment management plan. The MFRC advocates the need to establish a Fitzroy River Catchment Authority as a statutory body to monitor and regulate potential cumulative impacts from development. The Authority needs to be inclusive of all stakeholders and ensure that there is informed consent in decisions regarding development. This article articulates a local critique of water resource development and presents an alternative model of governance developed by Indigenous leaders of the West Kimberley.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)236-254
    Number of pages19
    JournalAustralasian Journal of Environmental Management
    Volume26
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 3 Jul 2019

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