Me-Mel Transfer key project steps

The process to create a new future for Me-Mel.

Our commitment

In July 2023, the NSW Government celebrated NAIDOC week by announcing our continued commitment to transfer Me-Mel to Aboriginal ownership. This is a historic step towards recognition, reconciliation, self-determination and heritage protection.

We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Me-Mel Transfer Committee which agrees roles, responsibilities and guidelines for making recommendations to support this ambitious project. The committee has Aboriginal representatives and government support from the Cabinet Office, Aboriginal Affairs NSW, and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. The committee will guide the journey to realise the long-term benefits and possibilities of the transfer.

Me-Mel has great tourism potential and is expected to provide significant opportunities for self-determination, economic development, employment, and training for Aboriginal people. We also want to improve public access to the island and protect its cultural and colonial heritage. This is a unique opportunity for all stakeholders.

Key project steps

Me-Mel is a complex site. It needs careful consideration before it is transferred. The Me-Mel Transfer Committee has a majority of Aboriginal members. It will look at how the cultural and environmental management and tourism potential of Me-Mel can provide significant opportunities for self-determination, economic development, employment, and training for the Aboriginal community.

The committee will consider the best possible outcomes that reflect community aspirations, and will develop recommendations for the future of Me-Mel including:

  • site options
  • sustainable financial modelling
  • Aboriginal history and heritage literature review in relation to Me-Mel
  • ownership, governance and management modelling
  • guiding community engagement and communication.

The committee has also unanimously supported a research project to identify Aboriginal Owners of Me-Mel.

The Office of the Registrar of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 is undertaking this project independently. It will run at the same time as this project.

The committee has been asked to consider culturally appropriate options to identify Aboriginal people with cultural connections to Me-Mel. It will also explore models for future ownership, governance and management that involve those people. The committee's role includes guiding wider Aboriginal community engagement as part of its work.

To help with this role, the committee will define a culturally appropriate engagement pathway. This will guide Aboriginal community engagement in the project. It will include opportunities for community input and feedback as the project progresses.

The process will also include engaging with the broader public and other stakeholders on the recommended options for future ownership, governance and management.

Me-Mel Transfer Key Project Steps diagram

The first steps to transfer Me-Mel (Goat Island) back to Aboriginal ownership and management began with requests from the Aboriginal community and discussions with the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC) many years ago. The commitment to transfer the island, located in the middle of Sydney Harbour, received bipartisan support.

This commitment included specific action on establishing an advisory committee, the Me-Mel Transfer Committee, to guide the early steps of the scoping and feasibility of the transfer process. This includes exploring options and opportunities to activate and unlock the cultural and economic possibilities that could benefit the Aboriginal community, especially regarding the tourism potential of Me-Mel.

Early steps led to the forming of a joint working group in 2018 with various government agencies and the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council.

Importantly, the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council supported and recommended other Aboriginal groups and community leaders to become part of this process to reflect the many different views and points of connection to Me-Mel.

It was considered this approach would support the best possible outcomes for the community and ensure the ongoing protection of both cultural and colonial history on Me-Mel. This led to the appointment of the committee with diverse Aboriginal representatives.

The project now has dedicated resources from across government to support the committee in determining the best possible outcomes, reflecting community aspirations, and developing firm plans for the future of Me-Mel. This includes the development of a strategic business case, including new master plan options, sustainable financial modelling, Aboriginal history and heritage literature review in relation to Me-Mel, community engagement and communication, and ownership, governance and management modelling.

In parallel, a Registered Aboriginal Owners research project is being independently undertaken by the Office of the Registrar of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 to identify Aboriginal people who could register as Aboriginal Owners under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983. The research project was unanimously supported by the committee. The committee is considering models for future ownership and management, and they will be designed to involve those people for now and into the future.

The committee and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service appreciate that this project will be of strong interest not just amongst Aboriginal communities but broader public and other stakeholders. These matters are being worked through collaboratively, and the community will be kept up to date with website and community updates.

The advisory committee was appointed on 24 November 2022 and held its first meeting on 3 February 2023, with the support of an independent facilitator. The committee will continue for approximately 2 years or until the transfer occurs, and it will initially meet monthly. During this time, the committee will develop a strategic business plan and make recommendations to the NSW Government about the transfer of Me-Mel to Aboriginal management, governance and ownership.

The advisory committee is supported by an independent facilitator who facilitates the committee meetings and the recommendations in accordance with the guiding principles. The process will include engaging with the Aboriginal community, the broader public and other stakeholders on the plan for future ownership and management. 

A range of other expert advice will be provided to the committee to help it develop a plan and a business case for future ownership and management of the island for NSW Government consideration.

It is up to the advisory committee to make recommendations to the NSW Government on how the transfer of Me-Mel should occur.

The committee has been asked to consider options to identify Aboriginal people with cultural connections to Me-Mel and options for future ownership and management models that involve those people. The committee will undertake wider Aboriginal community engagement as part of its work.

The Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC) is the leading Local Aboriginal Land Council on the Me-Mel project and Transfer Committee as Me-Mel is located within its boundary.

Due to the significance of the island, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council is participating on the committee to represent the statewide community in its capacity as the peak Aboriginal organisation in New South Wales representing land rights. Acknowledging that it is an advocate for Aboriginal rights and interests, it recognises, however, the autonomy of local Aboriginal land councils.

The committee's role includes making recommendations for wider Aboriginal communities engagement to ensure that everyone has a voice and is provided with an opportunity to become involved and contribute to the process.

To this end, the committee will define a culturally appropriate engagement pathway to guide Aboriginal community engagement in the project. This will include opportunities for community input and feedback as the project progresses.

The committee will be asked to consider culturally appropriate options to identify Aboriginal people with a cultural connection to Me-Mel and options for future ownership and management models that involve those people.

Once the engagement pathway is designed and finalised, there will be a broad range of stakeholder and community engagement opportunities seeking input and feedback as the project progresses.

If you are interested in being engaged as part of this project, please complete the registration form.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service called for nominations for Aboriginal community representatives for the Me-Mel Transfer Committee.

The public expression of interest was initially run from 29 May to 27 June 2022. During the process and on receiving community feedback, we increased the number of Aboriginal community representative roles on the committee from 2 to 4 positions. Due to this change, we reopened the expression of interest process from 13 September to 9 October 2022 to ensure Aboriginal community members had an opportunity to apply.

Nominations submitted between 29 May and 27 June 2022 did not need to be resubmitted as they were included in the process.

A panel comprising 4 senior Aboriginal executives from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and Aboriginal Affairs evaluated the expressions of interest and recommended 4 Aboriginal community members for the ministers to appoint.

The committee will operate for approximately 24 months or until the transfer occurs. It is expected the committee will at first meet monthly. Being on the committee will require a significant amount of time. Standard board and committee sitting fee rates will be paid to the Aboriginal non-government representatives.

The island is named Goat Island and commonly referred to as Me-Mel.