Water Facilitator
Team
left to right:
Hugh Wallace-Smith (ICWFN Coordinator),Tonya Murray (Gulf - CLCAC)
Peter Pender (Daly - NLC), Sonia Leonard (Kimberley - KLC), Rodney
Whitfield (Lower Mitchell, Kowanyama), Jeremy Wilson (Gulf -
CLCAC). Missing: Waubin Aken (Wenlock - Balkanu), Natalie Young
(KLC).
The success of Water Program projects being undertaken in
north Australia depends on Indigenous communities being aware of
and discussing the future of north Australia’s water
resources.
NAILSMA, with it's partner organisations in WA, NT, and Qld,
established a north Australian network of six regionally based
Indigenous community water facilitators, as part of the NAILSMA
Water Resource Management Program.
Aims of the Network
The aims of the ICWFN were to:
- establish a community based network to advance Indigenous
engagement in research and management of tropical rivers, water use
and conservation across northern Australia, and,
- act as a catalyst to ensure that Indigenous interests are
articulated, encouraged and incorporated into water policy
decisions, management plans and water allocations.
The overall outcomes of this level of engagement include
health, economic, cultural, environmental and social benefits among
Indigenous participants.
A network of six regionally based Indigenous Community Water
Facilitators were employed to:
- develop water networks
- facilitate the integration of Indigenous interests with other
stakeholders’ interests.
- advance Indigenous engagement in research and management.
- act as vehicles so that community interests are articulated at
the policy level.
Water Facilitators supported communication,
training, education, and Indigenous engagement in research and the
planning and establishment of management frameworks for tropical
rivers.
The coordinator of the ICWFN, based in Darwin, oversaw the Water
Facilitators and their engagement of Indigenous communities,
NAILSMA's partner agencies, researchers and other water users and
managers.
The ICWFN reported to the IWPG, TRaCK, the National Water
Commission and State and Territory jurisdictions.
Funding for the ICWFN was provided by the
National Water Commission until mid 2011 under the Raising
National Water Standards Program.
See the outcomes of this project on these pages:
Water
Stories
Water Engagement Activities
ICWFN Project Evaluation
Water Facilitators met regularly to provide updates on
achievements, to share experiences and skills, and to build their
expertese. At their Kowanyama workshop in July 2010, they were
joined by Dr John MacKenzie, Griffith University, Michael Storrs
(Australian Water Commission) and Viv Sinnamon (Manager Kowanyama
Aboriginal Land and NRM Office).
