Toward water justice
Ten years after securing native title, Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC has won recognition of traditional owners’ right to water.
Gippsland, Victoria: In late November 2020, the Victorian government returned 2 billion litres of water to traditional owners whose native title rights and interests are managed by Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (GLaWAC).
The Mitchell river, some of whose water will now be controlled by traditional owners
GLaWAC traditional owners come from five clans—Brataualung, Brayakaulung, Brabralung, Krauatungalung and Tatungalung. Their land covers much of Gippsland, from the mountains to the sea, and the water hand-back comes ten years after the Federal Court recognised their native title. The corporation has been jointly managing 10 parks and reserves (with Parks Victoria and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning), but this is the first time traditional owners have been granted full control over a large flow of water.
It's a clear win, but for GLaWAC and other native title bodies, there remains a problem with the governance framework for managing water: it's all about taking water out; not leaving it in. In that sense traditional owners are not only staking a claim; they are endeavouring to shift the paradigm.
Chair of the corporation’s board, Troy McDonald, co-authored an account of the handback and its significance.
Troy McDonald, chair of Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC
Congratulations to the elders, board of directors, management and staff, 600+ corporation members and other traditional owners. Bit by bit, the world is waking up, and it’s due in no small part to the hard work and perseverance of corporations like GLaWAC.