SATSIE program member (and previous SATSIE Program Lead) Professor Allan Dale has been supporting the Fitzroy Catchment Traditional Owners Alliance (FCTOA) since 2022, helping to strengthen collaboration and governance across one of Australia’s most significant river systems.
Hosted by Greening Australia, the FCTOA brings together two representatives from each of the 17 Traditional Owner groups connected to the Fitzroy Catchment in Central Queensland. Through regular forums held on Darumbal Country in Rockhampton, the Alliance provides a platform for Traditional Owners to come together as one voice, advocating for action, knowledge sharing, and progressing collective decision-making on whole of Basin issues.
Spanning more than 142,000 square kilometres, the Fitzroy Basin is the largest river catchment flowing to Australia’s east coast. For Traditional Owners, however, it is far more than a geographic system. The Basin is understood as a “Living Cultural Being,” central to identity, responsibility, and connection to Country.
“All of us 17 Traditional Owner groups are connected by the waters that flow through our rivers. I think the water is the blood in our veins that keeps us going,” said Deborah Tull of the Gaangalu Nation People in 2024.
Most recently, Professor Dale supported the facilitation of a two day forum in April 2026, which focused on several key priorities for the Alliance. These included progressing the FCTOA’s pathway to incorporation, advancing development of their Whole of Catchment Plan, and engaging directly with the Assistant Water Minister on the Central Queensland Water Plan and Regional Water Assessment submission.
The FCTOA Working Group shared that, ‘Professor Allan Dale has walked alongside us with respect, patience, and a genuine spirit of friendship and partnership. As co-facilitator, he helped strengthen our pathway and supported our groups to speak with clarity and confidence. His contribution has left a lasting imprint on our journey, and we honour the role he played as he moves into retirement. His guidance and genuine care helped create a space where our voices were heard and our work could move forward with purpose. His support helped us stay grounded, organised, and united, and we are grateful for the respect and commitment he showed to our people and our work.’
Samarla Deshong as co-facilitator with Allan reflected that, ‘I want to acknowledge all the work you have done over so many years with Traditional Owners across Queensland. Your commitment, your integrity, and the way you stood with our people will never go unrecognised. You have been a mentor to me, but more than that — you became family. Your leadership, knowledge, and expertise have shaped how I approach my work and my life, and I will carry those lessons with me always. May the connection you’ve built with our people and our Country travel with you, and may our Ancestors return to you the same wisdom and good spirit you shared with us. Thank you for everything you have given, and for the way you gave it — with humility, strength, and from the heart’
Through ongoing collaboration and leadership, the FCTOA continues to strengthen its role in shaping the future of the Fitzroy Basin, ensuring Traditional Owner voices are central to decisions about land, water, and regional development.
You can view the FCTOA’svideos https://www.youtube.com/@FCTOA
