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Landscape boards committed to reconciliation and First Nations partnerships

The chairs of South Australia’s nine landscape boards have renewed their commitment to reconciliation and to strengthening partnerships with First Nations across the state by signing the 2026 ‘Statement of Commitment’.

Landscape boards committed to reconciliation and First Nations partnerships
L to R: SA Arid Lands Landscape Board Member Mark Mayfield, Kangaroo Island Landscape Board Chair Andrew (Aphid) Heinrich, Narungga Elders Eddie Newchurch and John Buckskin, Northern and Yorke Landscape Board Chair Geoff White, Green Adelaide Board Chair Chris Daniels, Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board Chair David Greenhough, Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board Member Tammy O'Malley and Limestone Coast Landscape Board Chair Penny Schulz.

Statement of Commitment

First signed by the Chairs of landscape boards in December 2021, the statement is an important formal commitment by the boards to collaborate with First Nations in working toward statewide landscape priorities.

Developed in consultation with cultural authorities including the First Nations Coordinating Committee and SA Native Title Services, the statement gives twelve commitments to guide how each board will embed First Nations partnerships and expertise in delivering regional landscape plans.

After a review of the 2021 commitment, Chairs and representative Board Members came together in Yorke Peninsula’s Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park in early August to sign the 2026 commitment.

The statement stipulates that through respectful cross-cultural knowledge sharing, and long-term conversations, the boards commit to implementing actions that will see board members, staff and Aboriginal people working together to manage, protect and restore their region’s landscapes.

Recognising each region has very different cultural contexts, each local action plan is tailored with and for the local Aboriginal communities.

Closing the Gap

The Statement of Commitment builds on the relationships and on-Country work already happening throughout each of the state’s nine landscape board regions. 

Every landscape board undertakes significant work with local Aboriginal groups, Traditional Owners and Prescribed Body Corporates, making an effort to align with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. 

View the report: Closing the Gap in action - Landscape board case studies demonstrating progress towards SA's Closing the Gap priorities

The Agreement focuses on four Priority Reforms that aim to change the way governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including: 

  • building stronger partnerships and shared decision-making 
  • supporting Aboriginal community-controlled organisations 
  • transforming government organisations to work in more culturally responsive and effective ways 
  • improving access to data and information so communities can make informed decisions. 

Landscape boards are working towards these priorities in different ways. From Aboriginal-led governance structures and ranger programs to co-designed planning processes and long-term partnerships, there are growing examples of what working differently can look like in practice.