| Aboriginal Consultation |
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Nyungar people’s perspective on environmental issues have been ignored throughout much of the history of natural resource management in the Southwest. The invading regimes under the notion of ‘terra nullius’ dispossessed Nyungar people from our country and imposed European land use practises.
 Nonetheless, Nyungar culture has survived. Knowledge has been handed down to be able to accurately describe many of the traditional and ongoing cultural values of the natural resources. It has only been of late that the primacy of Indigenous interests and rights in Australia have been recognised. Australia ratified the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in 1993. The convention contains measures, which require signatory countries to develop national strategies for the conservation of their biological resources, the promotion of environmental sustainable development, access to genetic resources and control of biotechnology industries. Articles 8(j) and 10(c) of the Convention specifically address Indigenous rights in relation to the overall conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of the benefits of biodiversity.Photo: Rocks at Smiths Beach (M. Schneider)
The natural environment of Southwest is clearly a Nyungar cultural landscape shaped by the inherent relationship between people and country. It is vital that Nyungar people, and the traditional knowledge they have to offer, are central in the development of strategies to manage the natural resource of the Southwest. (South West Catchments Council, 2005) Three flowcharts have been developed by the Department of Water to guide project proponents through a process of assessingand idealing with risks associated with the Native Title Act 1993 and approvals required under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972:
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