The K’gari Land and Sea Country: djaa – ngarawinj 2023 Conference will be held jointly with the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) and the Fraser Island Defenders Organisation (FIDO) at Fraser Coast campus, University of the Sunshine Coast on 9-10 November 2023.

The conference follows a series of biennial conferences hosted by FIDO and the third symposium hosted by UniSC. This is the first time the two organisations have hosted a joint conference.

The event is an opportunity to celebrate K’gari, share research, and identify key issues, opportunities, and collaborations. Past UniSC K’gari symposiums and FIDO conferences have focussed on the land. The aim here is to also examine the issues relating to Sea Country.

The combined event will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to share their research and their knowledge of K’gari and the surrounding Sea Country with an audience of peers, community groups, students, and the wider community. The program is designed to be collaborative, with an emphasis on knowledge sharing and learning by the participants.

The result should be a shared understanding of the management of K’gari and the needs, including research, in caring for Land and Sea Country going forward. The combined event builds on existing partnerships, particularly with the BAC, BNTAC, QPWS, the K’gari World Heritage Advisory Committee, Kingfisher Resort and FINIA – the Natural Integrity Alliance for K’gari.

The 2023 K’gari Conference aims to build on the outcomes of UniSC’s 2021 symposium. The program is designed around knowledge sharing and learning by the participants and working together to develop a research strategy critically needed for K’gari. The event aims to promote continued partnerships, research, and collaboration.

The aim of the event is to:

• Celebrate K’gari and the work happening on K’gari, particularly the work of the Land and Sea Rangers
• Share knowledge
• Identify current management practices and key initiatives in Caring for K’gari and the surrounding Sea Country
• Map current research on K’gari and surrounding Sea Country
• Generate key research questions, opportunities, and collaborations
• Promote collaborations with key stakeholders; and
• Share the work of FIDO and other K’gari stakeholders.

The program is spread over two days and will include the opportunity to gather at the Hervey Bay Boat Club for a conference dinner. The website (and conference registration) will be finalised in the next few weeks.

For further information please contact Kim Walker or Peter Shooter.

Article contributed by Dr Kim Walker, University of the Sunshine Coast