A new $2 million funding program will put Traditional Owners in the driver's seat on key environmental projects to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
Grants will support First Nations communities and natural resource management partners to lead local, on-Country projects which improve the health of the Reef and build capacity for Indigenous-led environmental management.
Eleven projects will receive a slice of $2m funding via the Queensland Government's new 'Reef Assist Traditional Owner Grant Program', with up to $200,000 available to each eligible applicant.
The initiatives across Great Barrier Reef catchments include training young rangers in cultural and ecological stewardship, undertake habitat restoration, and protect islands, lagoons, and wetlands.
There are at least 70 Traditional Owner groups with cultural rights, interests, and aspirations in Sea Country along the length of the Reef.
Scientists have previously warned the Reef remains under severe threat from climate change, which is causing ocean warming and an increase in coral bleaching events.
The Queensland funding follows the federal government committing $30m in June for another Indigenous-led program aimed at protecting and managing the Great Barrier Reef through the Traditional Owner Water Quality Program.
This initiative funds restoration of critical ecosystems such as mangroves and wetlands — natural environments which help filter pollutants before they reach the Reeff - and harness the skills and knowledge of First Nations people to improve water quality flowing into the Reef.
Dulabed Malanbarra Yidinji Aboriginal Corporation chairperson Kaylene Malthouse said a $195,000 grant for a pilot Junior Ranger Program would enhance the community's work on Country and its preservation of the Reef, the way Traditional Owners have for generations.
"It's not just about protecting the environment; it's about creating jobs, building skills, and empowering our young people to be the next generation of land and sea managers," Ms Malthouse said.
"We're proud to share our knowledge and take real action to keep the Reef strong for everyone, now and into the future.
"Having the government support for Traditional Owner-led projects shows real respect for our role as custodians of land and sea."
Queensland Minister for the Environment and Tourism, Andrew Powell, said the state program was an expansion of the government's successful Reef Assist Program, which funded hands-on environmental projects and created regional jobs across Reef catchments.
"This program assists in preserving one of the world's most precious ecosystems, while also creating pathways for jobs, skills, and future project delivery," Minister Powell said.
"There is no-one more passionate about preserving and restoring the Great Barrier Reef than Queenslanders."
Details of successful applicants and their projects across Great Barrier Reef catchments, are available online.
