Terrain NRM was the voice of the Wet Tropics at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai.  Board Chair Barry Hunter spoke at three Indigenous-focused events and both he and Terrain’s Biodiversity and Climate Leader Sarah Hoyal were part of the Australia pavilion and the World Climate Action Summit, while also observing the formal negotiations.

We asked Barry and Sarah what they learned, and shared, as delegates during a trip made possible through the Australian Government’s Climate Conference Travel Support Program.

Sarah says: “Attending COP28 was an amazing opportunity to have a North Queensland voice at the conference, to share our knowledge and to make connections with organisations from around the world. Watching so many countries come to an agreement takes patience and a head for detail, but outside of the slow pace of political action, I was really heartened by the amount of passionate people representing alliances and partnerships from all over the world which are taking action to address the climate crisis from multiple angles and geographies. This really gave me hope.”

What, for you, is the most important outcome of COP28?

Barry: “The start of a global push to phase out fossil fuels. (This was the first COP to actively call on countries to “transition away” from fossil fuels, as well as “phase down” the use of coal.) There were also major announcements about Indigenous people, with the launch of the Padong Indigenous People’s Initiative, recognising and supporting Indigenous peoples’ contributions to the conservation of biodiversity and climate solutions through Indigenous knowledge systems. This initiative will also help Indigenous peoples to meet their obligations on biodiversity 30×30 targets (the global commitment to protecting 30 per cent of land and water by 2030).”

Sarah: “A recognition that phasing out fossil fuels plays a role in addressing climate change. Personally, it was a unique opportunity to participate in international dialogue that I’ve been watching from afar for most of my life.”

What are some takeaways that will influence your work going forward?

Barry:  We made great contacts and came away with a stronger understanding of the role we can play on a global scale through actions we take locally and by being the change that we need to see.

Sarah: We made a number of valuable contacts and gained a greater knowledge of networks and alliances that I hope will lead to more investment of resources into the Wet Tropics region. I’m also hoping it will lead to a greater understanding of how non-government investment can be sought to address regional challenges while ensuring benefits stay in our local communities.

What came out of it that might help this region?

Barry: The crucial role that NRM regions like the Wet Tropics play in climate change is not fully recognised and understood. I’m hoping being at the conference changes that.

Sarah: Raising awareness of this region’s exposure to climate impacts and its biological importance and world heritage status will hopefully help to bring in more resources to support regional resilience.

Was there anything you wish had been different?

Barry: The youth focus was great, and a great contingent of young Australians attended. I think their voices should have been more elevated.

Sarah: I found the location challenging – Dubai is a city in a desert built on a fossil fuel economy. There was no connection to nature. However, this conversely meant that the fossil fuel issue was central to discussions. I would like to see much more tangible mitigation action from these conferences. Although we must undertake significant adaptation action such as restoration and repair, the majority of the task is to reduce our emissions.

It has been 20 years since FNQNRM began natural resource management in the Wet Tropics. Why was it established and how have regional NRMs benefitted the environmental sector?

People might be surprised to hear that it was Coalition Prime Minister John Howard who instigated the regional delivery model for natural resource management. The framework was created to solve a problem identified in a mid-term review of the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust.

The Natural Heritage Trust, funded through the sale of Telstra, invested $1.5 billion into Landcare programs in 1997. While it was a significant policy and investment, the mid-term review found the effectiveness of the program was hampered by:

• A scatter gun approach (27 programs, thousands of small grants)
• Not enough science behind funding decisions
• A local approach that didn’t necessarily meet landscape needs
• A lack of defined strategic targets
• Limited monitoring, evaluation, and accountability
• Limited partnerships and cooperation.

As a result, a new concept of ‘regional delivery’ was proposed to tackle landcare issues from a landscape perspective, invest at a regional scale, work collaboratively, build capacity in local communities and enhance knowledge and information.

A network of 56 NRM organisations was set up around the country, with 14 of them in Queensland (now 12). Geographical boundaries were determined by catchments. One of the key reasons for the framework was recognition that each region had its own unique challenges that needed tailored landscape-scale strategies to be effectively managed.

In the Wet Tropics, FNQNRM Inc was established to cover the nine catchments from the Daintree to the Herbert. The business name Terrain NRM was adopted in 2006.

Different organisations, same philosophy

The organisational structure of the original 56 regional NRM organisations varied around the nation. In Queensland they were set up as independent not-for-profit companies. In some of the other states they were attached to local or state governments.

Today, Terrain NRM announces the upcoming appointment of Barry Hunter as Board Chairperson.

Barry succeeds Keith Noble who, after 12 years on the Terrain NRM Board including eight as Chair, has announced that he will retire from the Wet Tropic region’s natural resource management board on 14 November.

Barry was first appointed to the Board in 2018. A descendant of the Djabugay and Jiddabul-speaking people of the Cairns hinterland, his career has included a broad range of roles in government, mining and not–for-profit organisations. He has a passion for working with indigenous land and sea rangers and has consulted on indigenous land management, the carbon industry and community economic development.

Terrain NRM CEO Stewart Christie said he was looking forward to working with Barry in his new role: “Barry brings a wide breadth of knowledge and experience and will provide important continuity for Terrain NRM as we position the organisation for the future. I would also like to thank Keith Noble for his invaluable contribution as chairperson since 2011.”

Outgoing Chair Keith Noble said Terrain NRM was privileged to have Barry on its board.

“A nationally recognised leader in landscape management, Barry also brings a continuous and unbroken connection to the Wet Tropics reaching back thousands of generations,” he said. “His input over five years has been integral to our development, collaborations and future aspirations.”

Barry said he firstly wanted to pay tribute to Keith and his leadership over the past 12 years, during a period where the not-for-profit organisation’s innovative thinking led to ground-breaking projects combining science and local knowledge.