Cape York NRM will commence consultation on the revised Cape York Regional NRM Plan in March–April 2021.
You may be asking yourself, why is the plan important and why should I be involved?
The challenge on Cape York is the enormous diversity of views, and often conflicting views, on what is important from a natural resource perspective.
People of Cape York all have their own plans for Country, some based on thousands of years of cultural occupation and obligation, some with newer aspirations on economic development.
But, we all share and are dependent on the effective stewardship of the natural resources that support the people of Cape York.
What is the shared vision for Cape York’s natural resources and how do we propose to ensure the ongoing sustainability and resilience of these resources for all and future generations?
In addition, the people of Cape York and globally are subject to new threats and opportunities. COVID-19, for example, has fundamentally changed tourist activities on Cape York—how do we as a community address this threat?
How will it impact the natural resources and day to day lives of the people on Cape York?
Does it mean that there will be greater interest in industries such as mining to compensate for the loss of tourism?
Equally, there are new opportunities for payments for ecosystem services providing new incomes for the effective management of the land and sea.
How accessible are these incomes and what types of regional coordination and governance will be required to effectively manage these new assets for all?
The 2016–2020 Cape York NRM Plan provided the foundation for our effective engagement and investment in the natural resource management of Cape York. But plans are not static. The world has changed.
This is the opportunity for Cape York communities to have their say on what is important and how land, freshwater and coastal marine areas should be managed.
It’s an opportunity to review the existing plan, and ask ourselves what’s working and what do we need to change? Equally, what’s missing from the previous plan and how do we effectively accommodate and address new threats and opportunities.
Cape York NRM will notify the Cape York community in the near future regarding dates, times and locations for consultation regarding the Cape York Regional NRM Plan 2021–2025.
For further information, please contact Geoff Lipsett-Moore - 0476 667 170 or geoff.lipsettmoore@capeyorknrm.com.au
