The Australian Conservation Foundation has congratulated Traditional Owners on the Federal Government’s formal recognition of the outstanding Indigenous cultural values Wet Tropics National Heritage Area in Northern Queensland.

In 1988 North Queensland’s Wet Tropics was recognised for its outstanding natural values. But according to ACF, no consideration was given to the wishes of Traditional Owners of the Wet Tropics region and the cultural values went largely ignored.

For almost 25 years Traditional Owners from the Wet Tropics region have fought for recognition of the cultural values of the region and to protect and manage them according to their cultural knowledge. That formal recognition has been achieved.   

“Many Elders have passed away while waiting for governments to recognise their significant cultural heritage and knowledge," said ACF’s Cape York Project Officer Leah Talbot, a Traditional Owner from the northern end of the wet tropics.

“We encourage State and Federal government to work alongside Traditional Owners to enable them to manage their country according to their cultural knowledge.

“Traditional Owner groups on Cape York Peninsula now have an opportunity to have the Cape’s best natural and cultural values nominated for World Heritage recognition," she said.

The region consists of 20 Traditional Owner groups from Townsville in the south to Cooktown in the north.

Ms Talbot said with a number of Aboriginal Traditional Owner organisations and native title determinations now in the region, Traditional Owners are ready more than ever to engage in the National and if desire World Heritage processes.