2008 Chair Column

TSRA News Column

For publishing 12 November 2008

I wish to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Kaiwalagal from whose land I am writing and all other Traditional Owners and Elders throughout our region.

Elected Representatives Forum

During September and October, representatives from the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA), Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC), Torres Shire Council (TSC), Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC) and the office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (ATSIP) held community consultations throughout the region to discuss community visions, benefits and outcomes, along with priorities for thirteen issues of importance to future government service delivery in the Torres Strait region. The forums were very well attended and in particular I would like to thank all the community members throughout our region for taking the time to relate your experiences and give your valuable opinions. And last but not least, a big thank you to the three Mayors and the Councillors.

The information gathered at the meetings has been assembled into individual community vision statements and will be analysed for key issues and priorities for long-term planning and service delivery for the whole region. From 6-7 November, a Torres Strait Elected Representatives Forum was held to begin incorporating these issues into an integrated plan for the whole region.

Results from the community consultations and the issues that have emerged as priorities for the whole region will be made available through your Council. The information will also be used to formulate the TSRA Development Plan and the Councils’ Corporate Plans.

Fisheries Update

The Community Fisher Group (CFG) has been busy representing the interests of Traditional Inhabitant commercial fishers during negotiations to lease back commercial finfish licences to non-Indigenous fishers.

The lease arrangements for Torres Strait Spanish Mackerel began in July 2008 and the leases for Torres Strait Coral Trout are being finalised this month. Non-Indigenous commercial fishers have been allocated annual quotas of 90 tonnes of the Spanish mackerel and 60 tonnes of coral trout.

These quotas were well below sustainable catch limits and, more importantly, well below the numbers historically caught by non-Indigenous commercial fishers. This will provide Traditional Inhabitants with reduced competition and better opportunities to increase their catch.

The CFG also negotiated minimising the number of boats in the leasing entitlements and to prohibit commercial fishing in a 10 nautical mile radius of Mer, Erub, Ugar and Masig Islands, with the total closure of Calico, Little and Big Mary Reefs.

The CFG have agreed that revenue stemming from the finfish leases over the next two years will go toward increasing the participation of Traditional Inhabitants in commercial finfish fishing at Masig, Mer, Erub and Ugar Islands, where it is currently most concentrated.

The TSRA with the CFG will facilitate meetings between the Island communities to discuss a range of options designed to help increase local fishing capacity.

I would like to congratulate the CFG and Mr Kenny Bedford, the TSRA Portfolio Member for Fisheries, for their excellent achievements in protecting our finfish resources.

Bangladeshi Visit

In October the TSRA Chairperson, Mr Toshie Kris, and Mayor Pedro Stephen hosted a delegation of Bangladeshi officials visiting the Torres Strait region on a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) study tour of Australia.

The UNDP Project for Promoting Confidence Building and Development organised the tours for representatives and officials of government and civil society institutions involved in developing the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), a region in the east of Bangladesh.

The aim of the visit was for senior Bangladeshi civil servants and CHT Leaders to see how the Australian Government and civil society institutions work together to promote the development and interests of Indigenous people. Discussions ranged through many subjects, including fisheries, climate change and coastal erosion, small business development and infrastructure.

Recognition for Dr Whitehead

Finally, I would like to congratulate Dr Oscar Whitehead, who is based on Thursday Island, for being named 2008 Rural Registrar of the Year. The Award is presented by the Rural Doctors Association of Australia and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, and sponsored by Telstra. It recognises the outstanding achievements and commitment of dedicated individuals to improving rural and remote health.

Until the next column, may God bless you all and keep you safe.

Any feedback on this column can be sent to:

Mr John. T. Kris

TSRA Chairperson

PO Box 261

Thursday Island, Qld 4875

Alternatively, feedback can also be sent through the TSRA website via the media contact in the ‘contact us’ segment of the site.