Errk Oykangand National Park

On Friday 23 October 2009 a ceremony was held at Kowanyama for the handover of the Errk Oykangand National Park to its traditional owners. See below statement from the Queensland Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, The Honourable Kate Jones.

For more information about the Errk Oykangand National Park contact:

Kowanyama Aboriginal Land and Natural Resource Management Office

Telephone: + 61 7 4060 5187

Email: viv@klco.org.au

HISTORIC MOMENT AS CAPE YORK NATIONAL PARK RETURNED TO TRADITIONAL OWNERS

Traditional Owners will take over primary responsibility for day-to-day management of one of Cape York's most significant national parks following an historic agreement signed today with the Bligh Government.

Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones today visited Kowanyama to hand back ownership of the 37,000-hectare Mitchell-Alice Rivers National Park to the region's Traditional Owners, the Kunjen and Oykangand People.

"This is the first existing national park to be returned to Traditional Owners," Ms Jones said.

"Mitchell Alice Rivers National Park, 30 kilometres north east of Kowanyama, will be renamed the Errk Oykangand National Park (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal land).

"This is a momentous occasion and represents a breakthrough in indigenous land tenure resolutions.

"Our national parks, long valued for their ecological significance, are also places where Traditional Owners need access to be able to carry out their obligations to care for their country and their cultural heritage.

"This park shows us how successful the engagement between indigenous communities and the government can be when all parties work together and keep the dialogue open.

"Today’s agreement perfectly demonstrates the State Government's commitment to work in partnership with Cape indigenous leaders and communities to deliver real land and social justice while benefiting all Queenslanders.

"The national park is a living cultural landscape rich in traditional and contemporary significance for the people of Kowanyama.

"It was first gazetted as a national park in October 1977 and retains a high level of natural integrity providing habitat for over 300 species of fauna and flora.

"The park has many sacred places so I'm pleased an area of such significant cultural heritage has been passed back to Traditional Owners to ensure their traditions can be kept alive for future generations.

"The new management approach will support employment and training of indigenous rangers allowing them to join new skills with traditional knowledge.

“Of the ranger staff who work across the region covered by the Cape York Peninsula Heritage Act, more than one-third are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.

"This financial year alone the Government has invested $625,000, in addition to $830,000 already invested, in the employment of traditional owners for works and services associated with indigenous management agreements.

"The Government has also committed to investing $830,000 this financial year to pest programs across Cape York Peninsula being undertaken in partnership with QPWS rangers, contractors and Indigenous Land Trusts.”

Ms Jones said the Bligh Government recognised the importance of protecting our natural environments, committing to expanding protected areas to 20 million hectares by 2020.

“National parks are an essential way of protecting much of our natural landscapes and wildlife for future generations,” she said.

“So far in Cape York, more than 530,000 hectares of new National Parks and 580,000 hectares of Aboriginal land have been established through the Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program.”

The Indigenous Management Agreement sets out the responsibilities of the Land Trust and the Queensland Government for ongoing management of the park.

The Kowanyama Aboriginal Land and Natural Resource Management Office will implement the agreement on behalf of the Land Trust.