Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements Project

Guanaba Indigenous Protected Area
Category:	Place
Date:	1 November 2000
Sub Category:	Indigenous Protected Area
Place:
State/Country:	Queensland, Australia
	90km south of Brisbane, directly below the township of Tamborine on Guanaba Creek Road, Guanaba, adjacent to the Mt Tamborine National park in south-eastern Queensland.
Subject Matter:	Environmental Heritage \| Land Management \| Research \| Cultural Heritage
Summary Information:
Guanaba was declared an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) in November 2000 under World Conservation Union (IUCN) Category IV. The area which covers 100 hectares contains significant examples of wet and dry rainforest which, because of its isolation, has been relatively untouched by modern land use. The land was purchased in 1998 through the Indigenous Land Corporation for the Ngarang Wal Land Council (NWLC) on behalf of the Gombumerri people. All members of the NWLC are Gombumerri. The IPA will be managed by the NWLC which plans to maintain the biodiversity of the area and to control weeds and feral animals. In partnership with Queensland University the NWLC will use the IPA as a base for research activities.
Detailed Information:
Guanaba IPA is situated in the Gold Coast hinterland region and linked to Tamborine National Park by a privately owned vegetation corridor. It is traversed by Guanaba Creek. The principle objective underlying management of the land is conservation of the biodiversity and a Plan of Management was drafted by the NWLC in October 2000 to this end. It establishes the Guanaba Advisory Committee which was set up to assist the NWLC and Traditional Owners with planning and implementation of land management activities on the property. The Advisory Committee is comprised of key stakeholder bodies - NWLC, Traditional Owners, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Griffith University School of Environment and Applied Sciences, Gold Coast City Council and Environment Australia. The guiding principles of the Committee are: � Ecological sustainability; � Utilisation of best available information and research; � Enhancement of Indigenous community benefit; � Indigenous community empowerment; � Integrated land management in the regional context and in accordance with conservation values of the surrounding area; and � Maintaining options for future management. Management issues comprise: � Fire management; � Protection of cultural and heritage values; � Weed (predominantly lantana) and feral animal control; � Unauthorised recreational use (eg trail bikes and horse riding); � Erosion; � Revegetation; and � Water and vegetation monitoring. Regular monitoring is undertaken of the quality of water in Guanaba Creek. Griffith University is interested in developing a Research Management Plan with the NWLC, as an adjunct to the Management Plan. It will identify potential university assistance for activities such as wildlife and flora survey work, weed control and fire management strategies. Apart from funding through the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT), the IPA has attracted limited funding for rehabilitation from Envirofund, a community component of the funds available through the NHT. It has also attracted assistance from Green Corps Australia and Gold Coast Waterwatch.