7.3.13 Heritage values

The topic of heritage values assessed here encompasses Indigenous, historic (including Commonwealth heritage), and other heritage values (Chapter 4). Traditional use of marine resources, which is a part of Indigenous heritage, is considered in Section 7.3.8. The Region’s natural heritage values (a major element of world and national heritage value) are considered in the assessment of management to protect biodiversity values (Section 7.3.12).

Planning for historic heritage operates at multiple scales. At the national level the EPBC Act provides for significant historic heritage to be listed on World Heritage, National Heritage or Commonwealth Heritage lists. The Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018 (Cth) provides blanket protection for all wholly or partially submerged ship and aircraft wrecks 75 years or older. At the state level, historic heritage is protected by inclusion in state heritage registers and planning schemes are required to consider heritage. At the regional and local level, registers for places of local importance are created and administered by local governments, and heritage can be included in local statutory planning instruments with heritage-specific provisions such as codes and overlays. 

Commonwealth listed and priority historic heritage sites are well protected, maintained and monitored. The Reef Authority and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service coordinate various aspects of their work and approaches in relation to heritage through the Reef Joint Field Management Program using the framework set out in the Intergovernmental Agreement and the Reef 2050 Plan. The Reef Joint Field Management Program focuses on the implementation and field delivery of agreements, mentoring, training and empowering of Land and Sea Rangers and Indigenous Compliance Officers. It delivers compliance and maintenance services to historic heritage structures and sites, and is responsible for protecting Indigenous and historic heritage values on island national parks and Commonwealth islands, including story places and other locations of ceremonial and spiritual significance. 

A photo of a Meriam Nation Custodian with two Queensland Parks and Wildlife services rangers. The Meriam Nation Custodian is gently holding a red-tailed tropicbird chick while the first ranger looks at the birds feet and the second ranger watches on.
A Meriam Nation Custodian working with Reef Joint Field Management Program rangers on red-tailed tropicbird research at Raine Island. © Queensland Government 2023

Joint marine parks permits are assessed on matching criteria and a cultural referral process aims to ensure potential impacts to cultural heritage are considered in permit assessments and decisions, though this does not cover Queensland islands. Special management areas continue to protect two Catalina aeroplane wrecks. Many places and objects of historic heritage significance, however, remain unlisted and vulnerable to impacts, with the planning system struggling to provide adequate protection.10

Planning has an important role in assisting Traditional Owners to secure a future that acknowledges their complex and continuing relationships with Land and Sea Country. The Reef planning system for Indigenous heritage matters operates at several scales and comprises complex layers of legislation, plans (strategic, zoning, management), strategies, agreements (Traditional Use of Marine Resource Agreements, Indigenous Land Use Agreements) and conventions relating to heritage.

Planning helps secure a future that recognises Traditional Owners' deep relationships with the Reef

There has been increased recognition of Indigenous heritage in the management of the Region. Indigenous heritage is one of the four themes in the overarching objectives of the Reef 2050 Plan. Under these objectives, it has a focus on acknowledging Traditional Owners’ aspirations for protecting the Reef and its cultural heritage and it aims for increased participation, voice and capacity in governance processes. The Reef 2050 Traditional Owner Implementation Plan 1120 provides an operational platform to strategically coordinate and advance the delivery of actions to achieve Traditional Owner aspirations in relation to heritage matters (Box 10.2). It provides support to further understand and agree on a range of governance concepts, including co-management, co-governance and clarification of Traditional Owner rights and interests. In November 2023, a principles-based ‘Agreement to Partner’ was signed by the Reef 2050 Traditional Owner Steering Group, and the Australian and Queensland governments, to give effect to the rights, interests, and aspirations of Traditional Owners for the Reef in delivering the Reef 2050 Traditional Owner Implementation Plan. 

The 2021 First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance is working to reform protections that preserve cultural treasures for future generations and co-design partnerships with the Alliance communities to reform cultural heritage laws. This includes the review and restructure of processes, procedure and protocols for First Nations cultural heritage protections.  The Reef Authority’s Reef Blueprint 2030 includes a key strategic goal to co-manage Sea Country with Traditional Owners.

‘Agreement to Partner’ is a key step in progressing Traditional Owner aspirations for the Reef

The 2019 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Strategy 1102 provides a five-year strategy to improve the protection of Indigenous heritage within the Region. In 2020, the Toolkit for safeguarding Indigenous heritage and knowledge,2010 which recognises the inherent rights of Indigenous people, was created. Initiatives such as Traditional Use of Marine Resource Agreements and Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger programs assist Traditional Owners to access their Sea Country and to pass on knowledge from the Elders to the younger generations (Box 7.4). 

A Reef Authority ranger and a Manduburra Land and Sea ranger discuss something while standing on a grassy cliff edge and looking out to the ocean.
Discussing habitat management for Land and Sea Country. © Mandubarra Aboriginal Land and Sea Incorporated 2024
Box 7.4

Indigenous Ranger Programs — building a legacy to care for Land and Sea Country

Established and emerging Indigenous ranger groups across the Great Barrier Reef use specialised traditional practices and cultural knowledge, along with western methods, to manage and care for their Land and Sea Country. The Lama Lama Rangers program is considered a best-practice Traditional Owner-led and -managed program.

Grant McIvor is a Lama Lama Traditional Owner and former ranger. He has been returning to Lama Lama Country where his children, parents, grandfather and extended family live and where his sister is a senior Lama Lama Ranger, carrying on the well-established biodiversity preservation and research programs developed over decades. Working on your Country brings wide-ranging benefits. 

“Longer-term employment, training, sustainability of Sea and Land Country and the connection between wellbeing of people and Country is evident through the Lama Lama Ranger group. I am happy to see young mob there doing good work for Country, and our Elders are happy to see the younger generation back on Country.”

— Grant McIvor, Lama Lama Traditional Owner

Indigenous ranger employment pathways are also having positive impacts on other First Nations communities like Wujal Wujal, home of the Kuku Yalanji, Kuku Nyungul and Jalunji Traditional Owners. The Dabu Jajikal Elders have worked tirelessly to build momentum in their community. 

“We want a program for future generations. We want to take them to Sea Country. We want to protect the Reef, protect seagrasses for the turtle and dugong populations and see our children caring for Country.”

— Chris Patterson, CEO of Dabu Jajikal Aboriginal Corporation

Further south, Manduburra junior rangers are starting the journey of becoming Sea Country Custodians. It is being woven into their identity from a young age. They are on Country with their families, and it has become a way of life for some young mob. Rohann Sultana, Manduburra Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement junior ranger coordinator, wants their junior ranger program to evolve.

“The most important thing for us is having our kids back on Country and being part of that custodial relationship. By the time they are teenagers it is more natural for them to be on Country, understanding it, recognising what it needs, than watching a screen.”

— Rohann Sultana, Manduburra Traditional Owner and Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement junior ranger coordinator

Connections are being made across Land and Sea Countries so best-practice species monitoring and land management programs can continually improve. This model for capacity building emphasises knowledge sharing and the establishment of partnerships to enhance community capability, health and wellbeing — for Country and Traditional Owners.

Source: Caring for Sea Country — Traditional Owner Stories from the Great Barrier Reef 1 

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service’s Values-Based Planning Framework also recognises Indigenous cultural values as a significant focus of protected area planning. The Permissions Cultural Heritage Referral project is improving the Reef Authority’s ability to include Traditional Owner cultural knowledge in Marine Park permit decisions.

Since 2019, significant improvements have been made to documentation, monitoring and reporting frameworks for Indigenous heritage values and knowledge sharing among key players. The Strong People — Strong Country framework supports the establishment of indicators to monitor Indigenous heritage under the Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program and will support the understanding of progress towards the Reef 2050 Plan. Sea Country Values Mapping projects facilitate planning or product development including identification of saltwater heritage values and sites, threats to cultural heritage values, cultural landscapes, and cultural species. These are built on traditional lore, customs and cultural authority governance systems led by saltwater Traditional Owner groups (Section 8.5.2). A Data Management System for the Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program is being developed for improved information management, and the Reef Authority has a Cultural Knowledge Management System. These types of information systems assist Traditional Owners to share and or store culturally sensitive and other information, where appropriate. The 2020 Toolkit for safeguarding Indigenous heritage and knowledge recognises the rights of Indigenous people to protect and manage their heritage and respects their rights in traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expression. 

Outcomes for Heritage were assessed as partly effective and in decline. Challenges to the management of heritage values include: 

  • delivering a Reef-wide engagement approach to incorporate Traditional Owners through genuine partnerships and co-governance arrangements
  • enhancing the provision of on-ground management capacity and opportunities for Traditional Owners to protect and rehabilitate heritage
  • better application of relevant international and national principles relating to heritage across all areas of Reef planning and management
  • enhancing and integrating information on and monitoring of historic heritage (such as shipwrecks, plane wrecks and other relics)
  • improving digital spatial data and tools, information and data management, and data sharing arrangements to assist assessments of heritage
  • reviewing and updating relevant legislation to strengthen outcomes, including expanding protection of sites of heritage value
  • improving the integration of heritage matters into local government planning mechanisms, across agencies and across terrestrial and marine planning systems  
  • education and awareness programs to minimise risk to heritage.
  • 1. Winangali Pty Ltd 2024, Caring for Sea Country - Traditional Owner Stories from the Great Barrier Reef, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville.
  • 10. Cresswell, I.D., Janke, T. and Johnston, E.L. 2021, Australia state of the environment 2021: overview, independent report to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Canberra.
  • 1102. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2019, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage strategy for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville.
  • 1120. The Reef 2050 Traditional Owner Steering Group 2022, Reef 2050 Traditional Owner Implementation Plan, Queensland Government, Brisbane.
  • 2010. Markwell and Associates Pty Ltd 2020, Toolkit for safeguarding Indigenous heritage and knowledge, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville.