*(Message from the Chair) *It is with great pleasure I bring you my first report as Chairperson for Cape York Natural Resource Management, for our third year of operations. We have continued to mature and grow, and our new board is setting strategic direction for natural resource management arrangements on Cape York.

We secured more than $4 million for natural resource management on Cape York in this period, and we maintained our commitment to delivering a significant proportion of that funding to our service provider partners for delivery of onground projects. Our new Board gives us broad and strategic representation for Cape York and has brought a diverse range of skills to the governance of the Company. In this period our Board has commenced strategic planning for the future direction of the Company, and introduced Director portfolios to the organisation. The first of these is our Finance Audit and Risk Sub- Committee which will oversee our financial accountability and monitor our approach to risk management. It has been a significant period for Cape York in relation to regional, state and national planning.

We made submissions to the Cape York Regional Plan and Northern Australia white paper, and attended numerous meetings on the Cape and in Cairns, Brisbane and Canberra, and worked to provide opportunities for Cape York people to have their say on these important matters. Cape York NRM has continued to build and strengthen its relationships with the people and organisations on Cape York and further afield. For example, this year we formalised a Memorandum of Understanding with Cape York Sustainable Futures. This agreement outlines our roles and provides a framework for working together for good natural resource management, social, cultural and economic outcomes for the people of Cape York. As Chair I have continued to represent Cape York on the Regional Groups Collective, the body which represents all of the Natural Resource Management Groups in Queensland. This is an important strategic alliance for Cape York, as we are able to collaborate on state-wide projects, and advocate on issues that you, our members, have said are important. - David Caludie, Chair