The University of Melbourne is seeking a passionate individual, organisation or consultant to provide First Nations Cultural Advisor / Liaison services for The University of Melbourne, as part of the Flow-MER Program in the Murray Darling Basin. Flow-MER is the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH)’s on-ground science program that assesses how the environment responds to environmental water delivery, through Monitoring, Evaluation and Research (MER) activities in 10 areas across the Murray-Darling Basin. Flow-MER helps to inform management of Commonwealth water; demonstrate environmental outcomes; and meet legislative requirements. The current Flow-MER Program runs from July 2024 until June 2029 with MER activities contributing to the following key themes:

• Cultural outcomes (determined by First Nations groups)
• River flows and connectivity
• Native vegetation
• Waterbirds
• Native fish

The Area:

The University of Melbourne has been engaged by the CEWH to conduct Flow-MER activities in the Goulburn River and Northern Victorian Tributaries (GRANT) Area. The GRANT Area includes the Goulburn, Broken, Campaspe and Loddon River systems across the lands of the Yorta Yorta and Taungurung people, Traditional Owners of the land and waters in the Goulburn and Broken catchments, and the Dja Dja Wurrung, Barapa Barapa and Wamba Wemba people, Traditional Owners of the land and waters in the Campaspe and Loddon catchments. The CEWH is committed to partnering and working meaningfully with First Nations people in the planning, delivery and monitoring of water for the environment. This includes providing opportunities to empower and support First Nations People to care for Country and to build partnerships with First Nations Groups in ways that they determine.

The Position:

The Cultural Advisor / Cultural Liaison will join the project team to support the co-ordination and development of First Nations MER activities in the GRANT Area. This position is an ‘identified’ position which signifies that the role has a strong involvement in issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The successful applicant must have an understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and an ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People. People of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent are strongly encouraged to apply.

This role will benefit from your initiative to conceive monitoring and research ideas, your passion for the environment and your ability to engage with multiple stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for Traditional Owners in Victoria. The roles and responsibilities of the successful candidate or organization could include:  

• Working with First Nations people and groups with connection to Country in the Goulburn, Broken, Loddon and Campaspe river catchments in Victoria to understand First Nations-identified cultural outcomes of environmental water.
• Engagement with First Nations groups across Northern Victoria to understand their monitoring, evaluation and research priorities.
• Facilitating co-design, co-development and co-delivery (implementation) of projects of interest to First Nations people.
• Facilitating knowledge exchange between First Nations people, the project management team, environmental water managers and researchers.
• Providing regular updates to the Flow-MER Program’s First Nations MER Lead and attending Cultural Network meetings with representatives from the other nine Areas in the Murray Darling Basin.
• Providing and supporting input to outcomes reporting, including quarterly snapshots and annual reports.