On April 29, the Australian government signed an agreement with 18 Aboriginal
tribes to share control over the Queensland Wet Tropics World Heritage site.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the area spans more than
2 million hectares of rainforest and includes sections of the Great Barrier Reef.
Along with restoring the tribes' custodial role over the Wet Tropics, Rowan Foley
of the Queensland Natural Resources Department announced a management plan that
involves indigenous peoples on local and national boards. ABC reports that the
plan includes restoring traditional practices in land and river management and
providing more jobs and positions in tourism and environmental management for
indigenous peoples. Foley told ABC that the traditional owners will have the
freedom to manage the natural resources in the manner they prefer.
