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Blue Mountains City Council and The Gully Traditional Owners Joint Management Agreement | | Date: | August 2008 | | | Sub Category: | Joint Management Agreement | | Place: | Blue Mountains | | State/Country: | New South Wales, Australia | | The Gully is also known as the Katoomba Falls Creek Valley and is located in the town of Katoomba, New South Wales. | | Subject Matter: | Environmental Heritage | Land Management | | Summary Information: | | | The Blue Mountains City Council and The Gully Traditional Owners Joint Management Agreement ('the Agreement') was concluded in August 2008 between residents of The Gully and members of the Blue Mountains City Council. It provides for the establishment of The Gully Co-operative Management Committee (GCMC), which comprises of an Indigenous majority. The GCMC will have managerial control of The Gully, Katoobma, which was declared an official Aboriginal Place in 2002 (Blue Mountains Gazette). | | Detailed Information: | | | The Gully was declared an official Aboriginal Place under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974(NSW) ('NPW Act 1974') in 2002, recognizing the continuous occupation of the area by Indigenous people until 1957 when the council evicted the residents (Blue Mountains Gazette). Merle Williams, a Gundungurra Elder and member of the Gully Traditional Owners, observed that 'the historical significance of The Gully for the Gundungurra and Darug people is well known...[and] also has a contemporary signficiance to the people who lived there from the late 1800s to 1957 and their descendents.' (Koori Mail)
Although discussions about a co-management agreement between The Gully tradional owners and government took place over six years (Giotis, 2007), consensus was not reached until 2008. Under the Agreement, the GCMC formalises the involvement of The Gully Traditional Owners, with members to be appointed every two years, and bi-monthly meetings held to provide direction to the council on land management issues (Blue Mountains Gazette).
The Agreement builds on the existing state legislative framework. Sections 84, 85 and 90 of the NPW Act 1974 provide legislative recognition and protection of Indigenous cultural heritage, including requiring local councils to establish mechanisms of consultation with Traditional Owners of the area (Giotis,2007).
Commenting on the importance of the Agreement, Blue Mountain City Council Mayor Jim Angel noted that 'it is a great outcome in recognising the significance of the place to the Aboriginal community (Blue Mountains City Council).' | |
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