Aboriginal Waterways Assessment program

Purpose and background
Aboriginal Waterways Assessment — Part B The program 11
PART B
Purpose of the project
The purpose of the Aboriginal
Waterways Assessment program
was to develop a tool for Aboriginal
communities to consistently measure
and prioritise river and wetland
health so that they are better placed
to negotiate for their Country’s
water needs.
Rigorous mechanisms (beyond
the usual economic and
environmental indicators) that
help explain the importance of
water to particular places are
critical for effective involvement
of Aboriginal peoples in water
planning processes.
The research team
The research team was multidisciplinary
and multi-cultural
in recognition of the diversity of
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
natural and social sciences required
for the pilot program.
The team members were:
• Dr Gail Tipa of Tipa and Associates
(international Indigenous comanagement
of natural resources)
• Rick James, Riparian Management
Services (environmental
consultancy specialising in river
and wetland management)
• Dr Ross Colliver, Daisy Cutmore
and Dr Susan Goff, CultureShift
Pty Ltd (Participatory Action
Research consultancy)
• Neil Ward, Jackie Luethi, Charmain
McDonald, Noelene Edwards and
Ipshita Mondal of the MDBA’s
Aboriginal Partnerships team.
Dr Susan Goff, Dr Ross Colliver and
the Aboriginal Partnerships team
prepared this document. The authors
also acknowledge the contributions of
Bradley Moggridge who reviewed a
final draft of the report.
Project initiation
The Murray Lower Darling Rivers
Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN),
Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations
(NBAN) and the Murray–Darling Basin
Authority (MDBA) developed the
Aboriginal Waterways Assessment
collaboratively with Dr Gail Tipa, the
Māori researcher who developed the
Cultural Health Index.
MLDRIN and NBAN are the two
peak Traditional Owner based
organisations in the Basin with a
primary focus on natural resource
management. This makes them an
invaluable partner in delivering
better environmental outcomes.
MLDRIN was formed in 1998 and
NBAN in 2010. They are independent,
self-determining organisations
comprised of delegates from 46
member Nations.
Both organisations share the common
aim of seeking greater recognition
and respect for Aboriginal knowledge
and values regarding land and water
management. These organisations
promote the views and perspectives
of Aboriginal peoples on water
research, policy and management.
The introduction and testing of the
Aboriginal Waterways Assessment
was carried out in accordance with
the principle of ‘free, prior and
informed consent’.
MLDRIN and NBAN’s journey towards
endorsing and using the Aboriginal
Waterways Assessment began when