Standard Presentation 2024 Australian Marine Sciences Association Annual Meeting combined with NZMSS

Marranbala - Together we are Stronger (#419)

David Barret 1 2 , Shaun Evans 2 , Laura Joy Boren 3 , Jonathan Vea 3 , Glenn Durie 3 , Frances Verrier 4
  1. Namultja Aboriginal Corporation, Limmen River, Northern Territory, Australia
  2. li-Anthawirriyarra Sea Rangers, Mabunji Aboriginal Resource Indigenous Corporation, Borroloola, Northern Territory, Australia
  3. Parks and Wildlife Commission, DEPWS, Darwin, NT, Australia
  4. North Marine Parks Network, Parks Australia, Canberra, ACT, Australia

There are five accepted modes of engagement in the IAP2 spectrum of public participation with increasing levels of influence over decision making; Inform - Consult - Involve - Collaborate - Empower. In the past, land and sea management has largely sat in the Inform to Consult space. In recent years, Governments have been moving into the Involve and Collaborate space. In this partnership, the Marra people are working with Parks Australia and the NT Parks and Wildlife Commission to move the management of Sea Country in the Northern Territory towards Empowerment. This project aims to realise Traditional Owner-led management of Sea Country across multiple land and sea tenures under one Healthy Country Plan.

The project focuses on supporting Marra to establish the right Governance structure, develop an effective education and awareness program, and build internal capacity to effectively drive the implementation of their Marranbala Land and Sea Country Plan, where Sea Country overlaps with both Territory and Commonwealth Marine Parks. A further aspiration of this work is to develop a model for Traditional Owner-led management of Sea Country in the wider Northern Territory, including development of new marine protected areas.