Cultural considerations

Our commitment to engage with Aboriginl people about floodplain planning and management

The department acknowledges that we need to continue improving how we engage with Aboriginal people, communities, and organisations. Some of our key learnings based on feedback are:

• Aboriginal people should be involved early in planning and decision-making to build a shared understanding and incorporate Indigenous cultural knowledge.
• consultation should be culturally appropriate and be held on Country where possible.
• consultation should engage local knowledge holders, as well as peak bodies and representative groups.
• acknowledgement and protection of Aboriginal cultural assets, values and uses should be continually improved in floodplain management plans.

The department is committed to bringing these learnings into floodplain planning and management in NSW.

To find out more about the department’s commitment to improving Aboriginal engagement please see our Priority 2 (NSW Water Strategy) page.

Aboriginal cultural practices connected with floodplain harvesting

The return of water to floodplains through licensing of floodplain harvesting, is expected to have several benefits for Aboriginal communities across the northern basin. This includes the continuation of Aboriginal cultural values and practices connected with flooding across floodplains. To help realise potential benefits, the department seeks to understand the considerations and perspectives of Aboriginal peoples within the region.

A cultural value is defined as sites, objects, landscapes, resources and beliefs that are important to Aboriginal people as part of their continuing culture.

Floodplain management plans and consultation

Consultations with Aboriginal communities and organisations have been held in the Macquarie, Barwon-Darling and Namoi valleys. This has included over 52 workshops and 250 interviews with Traditional Owners across the Basin.

We are continuing to engage with Aboriginal peoples in the northern basin as floodplain harvesting reform expands to the Macquarie, Barwon-Darling and Namoi valleys. Between March and October 2023, there were 8 engagement workshops with 69 participants held on Country.

The feedback received will be included in an updated Cultural Considerations report covering all five valleys. The final report is expected to be published in July 2024.