The Taungurung Land and Waters Council is creating 17 new jobs as part of a formal agreement with the state government recognising the Taungurung people as Traditional Owners of a large area of central Victoria.
The agreement is the outcome of more than three years of negotiations, and covers an area stretching from Rochester and Kyneton in the west to Bright in the east, and Euroa in the north to Kinglake in the south.
The jobs include a range of natural resource management roles such as park rangers and field services officers with some positions starting this month.
The new rangers will work in partnership with Parks Victoria as joint managers of the nine parks and reserves the Taungurung People have Aboriginal Title over, under the Traditional Owner agreement.
The additional resources will ensure that the parks and reserves are well looked after so all Victorians can visit and explore this lovely part of the state for years to come.
“We’re empowering Aboriginal communities in the pursuit of self-determination and land justice – this agreement is another positive step forward for the Taungurung people,” Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Gabrielle Williams said.
Signed in 2018, the agreement recognises the Taungurung people’s Traditional Owner rights to access Crown land to hunt, fish, camp, and gather natural resources.
The agreement was negotiated under the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010, which allows for out-of-court settlements to recognise the rights of Victorian Traditional Owners.
“In celebrating the commencement of our Agreement, we acknowledge the Taungurung Elders and community who have paved the way to our self-determination – a long hard fight to challenge policy and law that tried to deprive us of our Country,” Taungurung Land and Water Council CEO Matthew Burns said.
The agreement has delivered around $26 million to support the Taungurung people’s economic and cultural development, participation in natural resource management, and other self-determination initiatives. It also provides the Taungurung people with an avenue for their culture and connection to country to be supported and promoted.
