Overview

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships (QPWS&P) acknowledges the significant history of First Nations peoples’ fire management across Country over millennia. First Nations culture, heritage, knowledge and values are intrinsically connected to Country. They are a central consideration for managing Queensland’s national parks and state forests.

First Nations people and their knowledge are at the forefront of efforts to provide Queensland landscape-wide fire management skills and services. QPWS&P works to co-design the management of parks and forests with First Nations people, including culturally responsible and appropriate fire management.

Joint management arrangements

QPWS&P works in formal joint management arrangements with First Nations peoples to manage about 2.75 million hectares of national park (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land) and national park (Aboriginal land). The use and management of fire on Country is typically central to those arrangements and the relationships.

The desired outcome of the QPWS&P fire program is that Queensland’s park and forest values are maintained or improved through the suitable application and management of fire consistent with the strategic objectives outlined in the QPWS&P Fire Management Strategy.

One strategic objective is to partner with First Nations people to connect and care for Country through cultural fire management on parks and forests.

QPWS&P recognises that:

• fire needs to be managed across the landscape in collaboration with other agencies and neighbours
• First Nations peoples and their representative organisations are often significant landowners and neighbours to parks and forests.

Acknowledging that managing bushfire risk is a shared responsibility, QPWS&P supports and encourages collaboration between responsible parties and pursues partnerships to formalise shared goals aligned with the Queensland Bushfire Plan.

Outcomes

• QPWS&P collaborates with many First Nations partners to develop and deliver planned burning across Queensland to facilitate conservation and bushfire risk reduction outcomes through various management arrangements.
• Several First Nations organisations deliver their fire management outcomes across Queensland through the Queensland Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger program and other arrangements, including in parks and forests.
• QPWS&P provides formal fire management training to non-QPWS&P First Nations personnel involved in fire management on or adjacent to parks and forests.
• Since June 2021, QPWS&P has trained 52 Fire Crew members and two Fire Crew leaders and facilitated three training courses for First Nations partners.