Towards Implementation and Refresh of the Wet Tropics Regional Agreement (2005) Supplementary Agreement for the involvement of Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples in the management of the Wet Tropics of Queensland Biocultural Region

This document is a draft Supplementary Agreement developed in 2020 to advance the implementation and refresh of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area Regional Agreement (2005). It responds to longstanding gaps between the recognition of Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples’ cultural values and their effective involvement in governance, management, and decision-making across the Wet Tropics biocultural region.The document explicitly acknowledges that the original World Heritage listing proceeded without the free, prior and informed consent of Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples and that subsequent governance arrangements did not fully realise the intent of cooperative and joint management envisaged in legislation and the 2005 Regional Agreement. Against this background, the Supplementary Agreement is framed as an interim but critical step toward a new, fully resourced Implementation Agreement for the 2020s.Central to the document is a rights-based framework grounded in UNDRIP, the Queensland Human Rights Act 2019, native title law, and Rainforest Aboriginal traditional law and custom. It recognises Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples as Traditional Custodians of a broader Wet Tropics biocultural region, extending beyond formal World Heritage boundaries to include surrounding lands, waters, and sea Country. The Agreement positions shared governance not as consultation alone, but as structured, accountable decision-making that embeds Aboriginal authority.The document sets out clear purposes: to operationalise the principles and protocols of the 2005 Regional Agreement; to establish culturally appropriate regional governance through the Traditional Owner Leadership Group (later the Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples’ Strategic Custodial Think Tank); to develop an Implementation Plan articulating contemporary aspirations and priorities; and to require change-management processes within government to support shared management in practice.Detailed appendices assess progress against the original Regional Agreement commitments and protocols, identifying where action has been partial, stalled, or absent—particularly in relation to permitting, cultural heritage management, intellectual and cultural property, funding, and monitoring. The document also outlines resourcing requirements, governance tasks, and a two-year work program leading toward a refreshed Implementation Agreement.As a record, this document captures a pivotal transition from values recognition to implementation, accountability, and Indigenous-led governance. It remains highly relevant for understanding the structural, legal, and practical conditions required to support Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples’ leadership in managing World Heritage and biocultural landscapes.