Message from the NQ Dry Tropics Board Chair and CEO
Les Tyrell OAM NQ Dry Tropics Board Chair
Dr Scott Crawford CEO & RAP Champion
We acknowledge and pay respect to the diversity and resilience of the Traditional Custodians of Country , their continuing connection to land and sea , and pay respect to Elders past and present .
It is with great pleasure that we release our Reconciliation Action Plan ( RAP ) 2023 – 2025 and we are proud to have joined the Reconciliation Australia network . The NQ Dry Tropics RAP outlines the actions we will take to continue strengthening our relationships with Traditional Owners and the broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community . We will do this through building connections , sharing knowledge , improving cultural awareness and competency , and supporting employment and economic opportunities in the NQ Dry Tropics region .
Our regions ’ greatest resource and strength is in our people , their diversity and community connections . We know our work to build respectful relationships and community stewardship is vital , and it is a privilege to lead a Board and team of staff members who are passionate and committed to meaningful respectful engagement with Traditional Owners and the broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community .
NQ Dry Tropics has developed strong partnerships with Traditional Owners over its 21 years of operation . Today , this is reflected in our continued commitment to the NQ Dry Tropics Traditional Owner Management Group
( TOMG ), together with our delivery work on the ground , and our support to growing the capacity and capability of Traditional Owners to lead ranger programs and natural resource management projects . We recognise , and are committed to , our responsibility to develop a deeper understanding of our role in supporting reconciliation across the NQ Dry Tropics region and navigating this with the Traditional Owners , the Board , and staff .
Our vision for reconciliation is that we are all working together to care for Country , building respectful relationships and creating meaningful opportunities that provide diverse pathways towards reconciliation . We can achieve much together and this Plan will strengthen our efforts and commitment as an organisation to reconciliation and Closing the Gap , with a focus on natural resource management . This Plan is a living document , which will evolve over time .
We congratulate the members of the RAP Working Group and the NQ Dry Tropics TOMG who have contributed time and effort , shared deeply personal stories , and given careful consideration to what we can aspire to and achieve together . We look forward to contributing towards the reconciliation journey and reporting progress toward our vision of “ Caring for Country …. together ”.
6 NQ DRY TROPICS - Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan - 2023