Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00100:front:0:p6
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00100
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 18637–21403

Marine Parks were created in Australia, including in the south-east marine region, in an attempt to conserve small pieces of our precious Sea Country. As a global warming hotspot  in the top 10% globally  we have no time to waste in working together as partners today to address degradation and to protect Sea Country for generations going forward.
Moving forward for the wellbeing of our Sea Country and people, we must take back control of our inherited rights and responsibilities to care for Country. We must be active leaders and respected partners in the fight to protect and preserve fragile marine and coastal Country for all. The time is now for our Saltwater Council, for Traditional Owners of the South-east Marine Parks, to unite and work together in the interests of our marine parks, connected oceans, coastlines, waterways and landscapes for generations that follow us.
We have expressed our sadness and frustration at the lack of inclusion of our voices, knowledge, values and interests in decision-making about Sea Country, including most recently the development of the South-east Marine Parks Network Management Plan (the Plan). We have expressed that we are unable to endorse the plan as we have had no part in its development.
We note that Parks Australia has acknowledged this fact, and has more recently worked with us to forge a far better way forward for all those who care about our Marine Parks and Sea Country. This will require the development of a genuine and long-term partnership with us over time, as opposed to being regarded as one of many groups or stakeholders; and tokenistic engagement.
Traditional Owners bring unbroken, deep and longstanding connections, knowledge and values to the management of Sea Country that will benefit all people, and most importantly Sea Country itself. We all need healthy Sea Country to survive and thrive, physically, culturally, spiritually and economically. All those who care for Sea Country understand this and it's our belief and experience that management as partners will benefit all.
Our South-east, Saltwater Council alliance as Traditional Owners is unique. We are autonomous and self-determined in our rights, responsibilities and approaches to caring for Country, but we are connected for the shared purpose of vastly improving and protecting South-east Marine Parks and connected Sea Country.
To achieve this vision going forward, we must put Sea Country first, and our partners need to respect our view and assertion that:
If it's about us, and all Country is about us, then planning, decision-making, and management must happen with us.
To be clear, with us means from the start of thinking about planning, to the end result of managing Country together, and how we keep track of