NQCC has worked to protect the environment of the North Queensland region for almost 50 years. We can be proud of that. However, it’s humbling to recognise that these lands and waters, and everything that lives within them, have been cared for since time immemorial by Aboriginal Peoples. As an organisation, we recognise that colonial practices continue to inflict immense harm upon Country and First Nations Peoples. If we want a better future for both, moving forward, then we need to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. That starts with listening.

When some members of NQCC's Management Committee heard Dr Janine Gertz speak about the journey from the Uluru Dialogues and the Uluru Statement From the Heart to the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, they knew that our community would benefit from hearing the story too. We were thrilled when Dr Gertz accepted our invitation to present to our members, and were even happier at the interest the event received!

In Townsville, we marked World Wetlands Day by inviting organisations involved in wetland conservation to share their work with interested members of the community. We are so grateful for the contributions of NQ Dry Tropics, Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare, Wongaloo Conservation Park and the Townsville Dry Tropics Partnership for Healthy Waters, whose representatives volunteered their time to share valuable relevant information with us.