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Background

Moa Island is the largest of the three islands in the west-central group of the Torres Strait Islands. It has two communities; Kubin located at the western end and St. Paul’s on the east coast. Funding was received by the Torres Strait Regional Authority to assist the Mualgal Corporation whose members reside in Kubin community, to pursue their desire for increased economic independence. The community expressed interest in establishing ecotourism and market garden enterprises, and Rural Solutions SA was engaged to help them develop an initial business plan.

Our Role

Visiting Kubin for the frst time, our consultants had two objectives: to hear the ideas and aspirations of the community and to assess the current assets available to support them. We began with community meetings; individual and collective, and discussed the opportunities that we, and the Islanders, saw for the community. We visited all of the sites under discussion, including the ancestral garden plots (long since abandoned), the local motel and various sites of tourism interest. The business plan we prepared outlined practical steps to establish small scale ecotourism and revitalise the old garden plots for growing of traditional and market garden vegetables. On a second visit, the plan was presented back to the community for comment before fnalisation.

Outcomes

The result has been a business plan that can easily be implemented by the Mualgal Corporation independently. The community have been impressed with the business plan which clearly refects their own priorities and capabilities. The plan presents an opportunity for Mualgal members to realise the potential of its people and its beautiful island in ways that support economic, environmental and socio-cultural sustainability.

Contact: Jason Downs

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