First Nations Applied Management Advisory Committee
Best Practice Engagement
One Basin CRC establishes key advisory committee for First Nations Collaboration.
The One Basin CRC has established the First Nations Applied Management Advisory Committee (FNAMAC) as a significant step towards embedding Indigenous knowledges and perspectives within its research and activities across the Murray–Darling Basin.
Recognising the deep cultural and ecological connections of First Nations peoples to the Basin, the FNAMAC will provide crucial guidance to ensure that the CRC’s efforts genuinely honour and incorporate First Nations knowledges, ethics, and cultural protocols.
The Committee will play a vital role in shaping the CRC’s approach to First Nations knowledges, policy, and practices, fostering a more integrated and respectful collaboration between First Nations expertise and Western science.
The FNAMAC will advise on various First Nations-related projects within the One Basin CRC. This includes ensuring that research aligns with cultural protocols and community priorities, providing guidance on relevant First Nations policy and ethical considerations, and navigating the complex and crucial intersection between Western scientific methodologies and traditional Indigenous knowledge systems.
By formally integrating First Nations expertise into its advisory structure and facilitating this exchange of knowledge, the One Basin CRC aims to develop more holistic and effective approaches to the sustainable management of the Basin’s resources, while ensuring that its work is culturally informed, ethically sound, and directly relevant to the needs and aspirations of First Nations communities within the Murray–Darling Basin.
This initiative marks a significant advancement in fostering meaningful partnerships and building a future for the Basin that respects and values the knowledges and heritage of its First Peoples.
Committee Members
- Uncle Feli McHughes, Chairperson
- Uncle (Dr.) Dale Kerwin
- Dr. Samantha Cooms
- Dr. Julie Ballangarry
- Associate Professor Tuguy Esgin
- Ms Birri O’Dea
- Ms Teresa Cochrane
- Mr Joshua-Matthew Peisley
Related Links
First Nations Projects
Our work is grounded in culturally guided principles and built on reciprocal communities of practice, ensuring engagement is not extractive but legitimate, guided by continuity, and community control in how we collaborate.
First Nations Resources
To support partner organisations and others, we provide access to key Guidelines and a curated selection of First Nations publications.