Traditional Owners welcome long overdue say on Great Ocean Road future

Jason Mifsud, the chair of the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, has been appointed to the board of the soon-to-be Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority, and says it's long overdue that Traditional Owners are given a share of the table.

"Eastern Maar have been advocating for a significant amount of years to ensure our values are protected and preserved along the Great Ocean Road and we are delighted the minister has seen we have a share of the table - not just a seat, but a share," he said.

"It's a major step forward in ensuring all the natural assets of the Great Ocean Road are protected and preserved for future generations, balanced with the significant tourism opportunities.

"If any community knows how to protect and preserve the environment while also facilitating development, it's Eastern Maar."

Eastern Maar's land extends as far north as Ararat and encompasses Warrnambool, Port Fairy and the Great Ocean Road. It also stretches 100 metres out to sea from low tide and therefore includes the iconic Twelve Apostles.

Mr Mifsud said while they have looked after these places for tens of thousands of years, their history since European colonisation has been difficult.

"The decline of our population during 1830-1880 has been described as catastrophic resulting from exposure to European diseases, massacres and dispossession, with our remaining numbers pushed onto missions," he said.

"Despite that, we never ceased looking after our Country and passing our stories down.

"So far Eastern Maar have been locked out of any decision-making along the Great Ocean Road."

Mr Mifsud sees the new authority as "significant step" from what he describes as a largely uncoordinated and unsustainable approach to the road over the last decade.

"There's a lot of groups that have issues and challenges in common and this new authority is a unique way to harness the views of the local community to ensure we are protecting and preserving the road in a deliberate way, and strategic planning to ensure the tourism experience is of a world-class nature as it should be on the Great Ocean Road, but not overwhelmed with tourists.

"From an Eastern Maar point of view quite simply our advocacy will be to preserve and protect cultural heritage and that's not negotiable.

"We will be looking at how we can promote the cultural values of Eastern Maar and the cultural assets along the Great Ocean Road to ensure an enriched tourism experience.

"I'm really looking forward to having the principles of Eastern Maar fully integrated into the work of the authority, which has historically been bolted on at the end."

Also on the board is Sarah Eccles, a Koori, Wadawurrung woman from Western Victoria on her father's side.

The Wadawurrung People are the Traditional Owners of the land and waters that run from the Great Dividing Range in the north to the coast in the south, from Werribee River in the east to Painkalak Creek at Aireys Inlet.

The Great Ocean Road - from Torquay to Painkalak Creek - is Wadawurrung Country.

Their Country includes hills, rivers and grassy plains, creeks and coasts, as well as encompassing the major regional cities of Geelong and Ballarat.

The organisation wrote a foreword to the Great Ocean Road Action Plan, detailing how for thousands of generations, the Wadawurrung have cared for and protected the land and waters of their Country, including its heritage, cultural values and traditions.

"Our history and connection to this part of Wadawurrung Country is rich in stories. We held ceremonies, we gathered, hunted, traded and cared for Country with traditional fire burning for revegetation," it reads.

"When we see Bunjil, our Creator Spirit, we know our waters and land are healthy. Bunjil created our landscape, our stories of all things living. He protects our country and connects us with our stories and cultural beliefs.

"We have a responsibility to continue to protect the stories, values and significant cultural sites along the Great Ocean Road. We hope that in partnership with others the cultural importance of the region is valued, and that this is clearly outlined in governance, law and policy.

"That is why it was vital that we, as Traditional Owners, had a voice in all aspects of the Great Ocean Road Taskforce's conversations and recommendations.

"We believe that the Government is committed to see the best outcomes for the Great Ocean Road and we look forward to playing a primary, and active, role in implementing the Great Ocean Road Action Plan."

The statement says there is not enough education around the First Peoples of the land along the Great Ocean Road.

"Tourists and most locals have minimal knowledge of Wadawurrung history and culture along the Great Ocean Road, with no Wadawurrung acknowledgement signage, language, stories or history displayed along the route," the statement reads.

"Reconciliation is about bringing all together. Let's walk together, alongside one another, so cultural heritage and values along the Great Ocean Road are known and shared with respect, understanding and accountability."

By 2023 the authority has committed to supporting the Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung to map their tangible and intangible cultural values in the land and seascapes along the Great Ocean Road and strengthen their capacity to actively manage their traditional lands.

Ms Eccles was contacted for comment.

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