Plenary 1

The push to include and leverage Traditional Owner knowledge and science in the reef restoration and resilience space is being driven strongly through Reef Traditional Owner leadership and governance systems. Through the Reef Trust Partnership, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) has created leadership roles for Reef and Catchment Traditional Owners, forming the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish and Reef Restoration and Adaptation Science (COTS/RRAS) Technical Working Group in 2020. Drawing from our technical and professional expertise and lived experience as Traditional Owners, we are focused on removing barriers to Traditional Owner access to, and active participation and leadership in, RRAS projects and COTS control. We have co-designed GBRF's Traditional Owner COTS/RRAS Program agenda – working across scales from funding on-Country Traditional Owner-led projects, to creating system change and re-asserting Traditional Owner voices and calls to action. In doing this work we are being sought out for cross-sector collaboration opportunities, and are influencing key programs and processes for the benefit of Traditional Owners working towards healthy sea Country. This presentation will highlight how Traditional Owner governance of the program has delivered outcomes for Traditional Owners and the health of the reef through insights of our program's core work areas and learnings.