Prof Phil Duncan
University of Canberra
Professor Leslie (Phil) Duncan is from Moree New South Wales and is a member of the Gomeroi Nation and his homelands are Moree and Terry Hie Hie. Phil has over 40+ years’ experience working with Aboriginal people and government to improve the lives of Aboriginal people through recognition of our rich cultural history, the return of our lands, the improvement of our living conditions and education of our next generation through both his employment and active volunteer community work. Phil provides high level policy and strategic advice and leadership to key Indigenous Representative Organisations, Universities, State and Federal government agencies as well as key external stakeholder groups. His strategic advice, leadership and engagement is around issues of culture and heritage significance, community engagement in on-ground projects, as well as the design, delivery and implementation of programs in partnership with government. Phil has made significant contributions in a variety of domains from education and organisational reconciliation action through to areas of focus such as natural resource management, freshwater river management, forestry, native fish, water rights and allocations.
Phil is a recognised Indigenous leader, both Nationally and Internationally. Phil is extremely passionate about promoting greater partnerships and collaborations using two way knowledge exchanges and enhancing the voices of Traditional Owners in land and water management via the integration of Cultural Science into the Western Scientific frameworks and models.
Industry affiliations:
Beca Hunter H2O – Australian Principal Aboriginal Cultural Advisor
University of Canberra Galambany Professorial Fellow, Centre of Applied Water Science
Griffith University – Award of Doctor of the University
Australian Water Association – Oz Water 24 Australian Water Professional of the Year 2024
NSW Natural Resource Access Regulator - Board Member – First Indigenous Board Member
NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust – Board Member
Aboriginal Cabon Foundation – Board Chair
Australian Freshwater Science Society – National Indigenous Executive
WaterAid Australia – Program Advisory Committee
Principles & Practice, Indigenous Engagement in Water Management, The Gamilaroi Experience
Water in Australia is a wonderful canvas to nurture and maintain healthy people, healthy Country, and healthy culture, to enable this connection goes beyond collaboration. This session aims to showcase that Global water systems are increasingly stressed by human demands, and the vast majority of the world’s major river systems are now dominated by anthropogenic influences. In many cases this has led to river and lake ecosystems that are environmentally degraded and increasingly incapable of providing the ecosystem services on which humans rely. These pressures have had two important consequences for Indigenous peoples. The first is increased demands for water and energy, heightening tensions around Indigenous land and water rights. The second is a recognition that indigenous knowledge has an important role in providing models for water governance, allocation and restoration of habitats, and is a key component of policy and management resilience.
This Plenary acknowledges, that over these millennia Indigenous people have sustainably managed their lands, waters and natural resources for the health of their Countries and their peoples. Indigenous people have understood the importance of water and its centrality to life and have cherished it accordingly. Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge, like their stories, are passed down from generation to generation and continue up until this day. This allowed Indigenous people to live in a symbiotic relationship with the land and water. They used it, lived from it and nurtured it. Indigenous peoples use was sustainable, and continues so today, where it can. Through their dispossession, and then mismanagement of their lands and waters, with a disregard for their culture, knowledge and understanding, we have witnessed the detrimental effects upon both Indigenous peoples and their environment; for Indigenous people exist in harmony and in pain with our traditional countries
Indigenous people and communities have complex knowledges which support and reinforce their relationship and deep connection to Country as the Traditional Owners of their cultural landscapes. They have distinct responsibility to care for Country and in particular, protect cultural sites of significance. Increasingly in Australia and globally, Indigenous knowledges are being recognised as an increasingly important factor in human and planet survival. Application of Indigenous knowledges is recognised internationally as relevant and practical importance to adaptation and mitigation of adverse impacts of a changing climate.
Plenary Framing – The Gamilaroi Experience – Case Study
§ Indigenous people comprise a minority of the global population up to 300 million of 7,000 million. Many of those Indigenous ‘peoples are oppressed, marginalised and dispossessed of land, water, knowledge and a cultural life. The legacy of dispossession continues in economic, social and political disadvantage.
§ In the Indigenous, Gamilaroi world view, people and Country (including lands, waterways and seas) are interdependent entities that are intrinsically linked in the landscape through cultural and spiritual significance. This means that there is no separation of nature and culture - the health of the natural environment and cultural wellbeing of Aboriginal people is directly influenced by the health of the cultural landscapes.
§ The Gamilaroi and Indigenous people and communities have complex knowledges which support and reinforce their relationship and deep connection to Country as the Traditional Owners of their cultural landscapes. They have distinct responsibility to care for Country and in particular, protect cultural sites of significance.
§ Increasingly in Australia and globally, Indigenous knowledges are being recognised as an increasingly important factor in human and planet survival. Application of Indigenous knowledges is recognised internationally as relevant and practical importance to adaptation and mitigation of adverse impacts of a changing climate.