One of Australia’s most famous icons, Uluru, in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, is on Aboriginal land within the Central Land Council region.
Other famous tourist attractions such as the Devils Marbles (Karlu karlu) and the West MacDonnell National Park, are also in the CLC region.
The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park has been under joint management of traditional owners and Parks Australia since 1985 when it was leased back to the Australian Government for 99 years but traditional owners have had little or no say in the management and care of other parks, despite sites inside the parks often holding deep spiritual significance for Aboriginal people.
However in 2003, the Northern Territory Government agreed to joint management with traditional owners of the Territory's national parks.
Traditional owners with the
draft Plan of Management for Rainbow Valley
In 2005 the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act was also amended, setting out the principles and objectives for joint management of these parks
The joint management agreement was reached after successful negotiations between the Northern Territory Government and the CLC. Of the 19 parks, 15 will receive a transfer of tenure with an immediate lease back to the NT Government for 99 years.
Karlu Karlu and the Davenport Murchison wer the first parks to be handed handed back to its traditional owners in 2008 with others to follow this year. The other four parks will be managed jointly with no change to tenure.
The CLC has three dedicated joint management officer and a trainee who have carried out consultations for the development of joint management plans for the West MacDonnell, East MacDonnell, Watarrka, Devils Marbles, Rainbow Valley and Chambers Pillar parks or reserves.
Joint management combines traditional knowledge and land management skills to be combined with contemporary land management practices. The agreement has also included in the parks estate new areas that were previously Aboriginal land.
The change in approach provides employment opportunities for Aboriginal people and protects culturally sensitive areas while still allowing the wider community to enjoy parks without any fees or permits for entry.
Already Aboriginal trainee rangers have been appointed to the Alice Springs Telegraph Station and Tennant Creek and the Flexible Employment Program is providing short-term work opportunities on park management programs. For example, the Tjuwanpa Rangers were given a kick-start through short-term work contracts under the Flexible Employment Program.
Cultural mapping of the parks by traditional owners has provided opportunities for them to share their stories of the country for visitors and identified culturally sensitive areas that need protection while recording important historical sites of interest to the public .
The general public may not notice much different about its favourite parks, but the move to joint management will see a change in the prospects for Aboriginal people tied to that land.
