Indigenous peoples and biodiversity protection in wet tropics country: from co-management to collaborative governance: Volume 1 Interim policy-relevant findings

Rainforest Aboriginal peoples in the Australian wet tropics (Queensland) have actively and collectively asserted their right to manage their traditional estates according to their culture since the 1980s (RAPA 2013). This report presents the outcomes of a co-research project to evaluate the partnerships that Rainforest Aboriginal peoples have with their government and nongovernment counterparts to co-manage and protect terrestrial biodiversity on these estates. The evaluation interrogates the capability of Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) and other collaborative planning models and mechanisms, to provide the means for recognition of Indigenous knowledge and values, and joint management of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area between Governments and Rainforest Aboriginal people, in partnership with communities.