Delays in carrying out more than $165m worth of disaster-recovery projects have been avoided after Douglas Shire Council last week voted to appoint a Traditional Owner monitoring group to oversee the works.

More than 25 Cyclone Jasper recovery projects are currently in the works in DSC, including at Alexandra Range, Cape Tribulation–Bloomfield Road, Noahs Range, and China Camp Road. 

But last week’s council meeting heard some projects were in danger of being delayed or even shelved because a cultural-monitoring agreement was not in place in Eastern Kuku Yalanji Country where there was “high cultural sensitivity”.

TO monitoring services are used across Australia to make sure sensitive First Nations sites are protected, and the process is a legal requirement under Queensland’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act.

But not all the councillors were happy with allowing the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation to select the Archaeology Survey Team as the TO monitors, with Deputy Mayor Roy Zammataro voting against the plan in the meeting.

“I would like further discussion on this issue with councillors,” he said.

“I think we should have workshopped this issue first.”

And Cr Abigail Noli asked this question of the council staff: “Is council obligated to only use a Jabalbina-endorsed AST?”

A staff member said the council did not have to appoint AST to do the work, but appointing the group would likely help with the success of the project. 

“AST is the only provider formally endorsed by Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation - the Registered Cultural Heritage Body,” a report tabled in the meeting stated.

“AST holds established relationships with Traditional Owners and possesses the operational capability to coordinate heritage monitoring across multiple concurrent project sites.”