Aboriginal Water Assessment – Cotter River below Corin Dam

Aboriginal Water Assessments (AWAs) are facilitated with the Ngunnawal community by the Ngunnawal Water Policy Officer in the ACT Office of Water. Many AWAs have been completed in waterways across the ACT, with involvement of public land managers and water cycle custodians as relevant to each location. Location and frequency are subject to a range of considerations including community interest, policy focus, major projects and developments, and coverage to capture indigenous knowledge.

Participants from the Ngunnawal community record their observations, feelings, artwork, stories, science and other cultural knowledge for the area using the AWA form on an iPad, which is entrusted to the Ngunnawal Water Policy Officer for confidential safekeeping and generation of a findings report that can be used to inform land and water policy and management. Outcomes may also be shared with entities such as water and wastewater utility Icon Water to inform water cycle activities as one part of walking together on our reconciliation journey.

AWAs are critical to understand indigenous perspectives on waterway health and management as part of caring for Country. Watch the video below with Ngunnawal Water Policy Officer Bradley Djirabidj Bell to learn more about the why, what and how of AWAs.