The announcement and signing today of an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) over Mandingalbay Yidinji Country near Cairns heralds a new beginning for land and sea management and first mutli-tenured agreement of its type anywhere in the country.

Mandingalbay Yidinji Country is located across the Trinity Inlet from Cairns. The 9,740 hectares of country being dedicated as an IPA includes areas of pristine mountainous rainforest, coastal woodlands, freshwater and saltwater areas of significance to the Mandingalbay Yidinji people which will be managed in accordance with the IUCN values for its rich biodiversity, conservation values and importantly its Aboriginal cultural values.

Within the IPA area being dedicated are:

• East Trinity Environmental Reserve
• Grey Peaks National Park
• Malbon Thompson Forest Reserve
• Giangurra Reserve
• Wet Tropics World Heritage Area
• Trinity Inlet Section of the Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park; and
• Trinity Inlet Fish Habitat Area

"This is the very first multi-tenure agreement anywhere in the country that delivers a new management and conservation regime for Indigenous land and sea country that provides not only opportunities for our people, but importantly respects the inherent management knowledge that we as traditional owners have over our country." Vince Mundraby, Chairperson, Mandingalbay Yidinji Aboriginal Corp.

The Mandingalbay Yidinji Indigenous Protected Area and the preparation of the Management Plan was undertaken in collaboration with our management partners: Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management, Fisheries Queensland, Wet Tropics Management Authority, Terrain NRM, and the Cairns Regional Council.

''We had a native title determination and Indigenous Land Use Agreements, but it wasn't until we started developing the Indigenous Protected Area project that we could see a way of 'putting country back together' – to manage country in a tenure-blind way with our partners. " Dale Mundraby, Chairperson, Djunbunji Ltd.

IPA dedication means that Traditional Owners have voluntarily dedicated their country as a protected area, complementing the separate land and sea protected areas already established on Mandingalbay Yidinji country by Commonwealth, Queensland and Local government. IPA dedication is a non-legal process that does not impact on native title rights, the authority of government agencies or public access and use of the area.

Media Release | 26 November 2011