News Latest News First Peoples' Water Engagement Council holds inaugural meeting
First Peoples' Water Engagement Council holds inaugural meeting
The initial meeting of the First Peoples' Water Engagement Council (FPWEC) was held in Canberra on 7 June 2010. The FPWEC is a new group established by the National Water Commission which will provide advice to the Commission on national water issues in Australia.
The members of the FPWEC were welcomed to Canberra by Traditional Owner Louise Brown. They then proceeded to work through a rigorous agenda for the one-day meeting that included electing Dr Anne Poelina, a traditional owner from the Lower Region of the Fitzroy River in Western Australia as Chair.
Dr Poelina has been working in land, water and natural resource management for the past 10 years advocating for Indigenous rights in water, water governance and the health of the Fitzroy River and Catchment. Dr Poelina is a traditional owner from the Lower Region of the Fitzroy River. She is the current Chair of the Mary River Group and Deputy Chair of the Indigenous Water Policy Group with NAILSMA. She also has international networks with other Indigenous people who are advocating on the rights of Indigenous peoples to protect and manage their resources.
Also present at this meeting were Ken Matthews, Commissioner Elaine Gardiner, and James Cameron. Topics discussed included:
- the group's Terms of Reference
- strategies for communication
- the outcomes of the Australian Water Reform 2009
Specific issues identified by the Council for immediate attention include:
- Indigenous engagement in water planning
- the allocation of "cultural flows" in water plans
- Indigenous access to the consumptive pool for economic development
- investigating appropriate entitlement regimes to meet Indigenous needs.
The Council is expected to meet at least three times each year with the next meeting scheduled for September 2010. In July, Dr Poelina will meet with Commissioners at their July meeting in Townsville.
Between meetings Dr Poelina and the other six Council members will meet with their vast networks and discuss issues raised by Indigenous community members.
