Tumut Brungle Gundagai Area joint management program

This memorandum ensures that the local Aboriginal community is involved in the management of culturally significant areas of northern Kosciuszko National Park. The possibility of a MOU was first raised in the Aboriginal community at a family gathering in 2006, and then developed over the next few years. The idea was to safeguard the rich Aboriginal culture in areas of Kosciuszko National Park north of Happy Jacks and Tolbar roadsas well as reserves within the Tumut Brungle Aboriginal Lands Council area.

This joint management program ensures the Aboriginal community and NPWS work together with recognition and respect. It encourages employment and education opportunities for the community, and ensures that park staff have an appreciation of the land’s cultural significance. 

The agreement also guarantees that any Aboriginal interpretive material is circulated for approval prior to being released to the public, and that programs to identify cultural sites within the landscape are developed in consultation with the Aboriginal community. In effect, the agreement keeps the Aboriginal heritage of Kosciuszko National Park front-and-centre of park management.