Joint Management begins for Itirkawara (Chambers Pillar)
On July 31st, about thirty Traditional Owners gathered with rangers, planners and Central Land Council staff at the Araluen Centre in Alice Springs to talk about joint management for Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve. Chambers Pillar is a small, unstaffed reserve located 160km south of Alice Springs and is a key attraction of the region.
The gathering talked about joint management plans, the history of joint management and how Parks currently manage the reserve - a part of the Central District Parks region. The group also discussed who should be in a planning group to work on the Joint Management Plan.
The planning group met in mid August to discuss a shared vision for the reserve and how the joint management partners will work together. They also started to think about how decisions for the reserve would be made and considered some opportunities that Traditional Owners may want to take on as a result of joint management arrangements.
More meetings will follow to talk about managing the cultural, historic and natural values of the reserve. It is hoped a first draft of the Joint Management Plan will be done by the end of the year.
