Summary
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Certification
Timeline
Queensland Resources Indigenous Advocacy Champion
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Paul Travers

Brisbane,QLD

Summary

Experienced Indigenous Affairs professional with strong focus on team collaboration and achieving results. Proven track record in fostering positive workplace environments, enhancing employee engagement, and driving organizational success. Skilled in native title and cultural heritage management and agreement making, conflict resolution, strategic planning, and change management. Known for adaptability and reliability in meeting evolving organizational needs.

Work History

Country and Culture Manager

Indjalandji-Dhidhanu Aboriginal Corporation (IDAC) (Myuma Group)
12.2020 - 07.2024
  • Reporting to the Managing Director and managing across the five incorporated bodies that make up the Myuma Group, I am responsible for a variety of matters, including the management of native title and cultural heritage for the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu people, and engagement with landholders and other stakeholders, including the Mount Isa City Council, resource companies, other land users, State and Federal government partners and QSNTS.
  • I currently manage a team of four Indjalandji-Dhidhanu rangers as well as the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu Cultural Heritage Coordinator.
  • My work involves significant engagement with Traditional Owners across North-West Queensland and the Northern Territory, where for many English is their second language.
  • Reporting to the IDAC Board every quarter, I am responsible for driving the IDAC strategic plan. This has included negotiating and implementing a significant number of native title and cultural heritage agreements, developing the ranger program, environmental and land management projects, employment and economic development, and successful applications for grant funding.

Manager, Cultural Heritage and Aboriginal Engagement

Santos Ltd
08.2024 - 01.2024
  • Leading a team of twenty, I was responsible for managing Aboriginal engagement, and native title and cultural heritage approvals across Queensland, South Australia, NSW and the Northern Territory.

Head – Indigenous Engagement

Adani Mining
12.2018 - 12.2020
  • Reporting to the Adani Mining CEO, I was responsible for managing every aspect of Indigenous relations across the Adani Mine and Rail project, including managing cultural heritage; implementing native title agreements; supporting Indigenous employment programs with HR, project teams and contractors and Indigenous procurement initiatives with Supply.
  • I managed a team of five, together with a $10M budget.
  • Highlights included securing 7.5% Indigenous employment across the rail project and the delivery on multi-million dollar contract award to Indigenous businesses.
  • Strategic planning, sound interpersonal and relationship building skills with both internal and external stakeholders together with well-developed communication skills were critical to the successful delivery of the accountabilities of this role for Adani Mining.
  • I was Adani’s representative on the QRC and the MCA Indigenous Affairs Committees.

Manager Community (Indigenous and other stakeholders)

BHP Billiton (Coal)
01.2015 - 06.2016
  • Expanded accountability for managing Indigenous stakeholders in Qld and providing similar support to NSW.
  • I also had accountabilities for non–Indigenous stakeholders in Queensland, such as Mackay City Council, RACQ CQ Rescue Helicopter, CQ University, Department of Communities and the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, including the office of the Honourable Curtis Pitt, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in Queensland.
  • Highlights included:
  • Developing a combined East Coast Australia Stakeholder Engagement Management Plan to replace individual plans for NSWEC, BMA and BMC
  • Leading the global working group for the Governance section of the Global Indigenous people’s Strategy
  • Supporting HR and Supply in the development of Indigenous recruitment and procurement planning
  • Supporting operations in the development of an environmental offsets partnership with Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire
  • Supporting Supply as part of the contract management team for a $17M drilling contract awarded to an Indigenous business
  • Participating in the national working group developing BHP’s new, elevated RAP
  • Working with NSWEC to identify improvement areas for Indigenous engagement
  • Resetting traditional owners expectations around levels of native title compensation (as part of the Goonyella west native title negotiation)
  • Reframing resourcing expectations for cultural heritage and native title negotiations
  • Negotiating budget and contract arrangements for the establishment of the Moranbah Youth and Community Centre as part of the Caval Ridge Mine Social Impact Management Plan.

Principal – Indigenous Relations

BHP Billiton Queensland, Coal
01.2011 - 12.2015
  • I led and managed every aspect of Indigenous Relations in Queensland for BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance, BHP Billiton Mitsui Coal and the BHPB Project HUB, including in relation to native title and cultural heritage negotiation, management and implementation of agreements, compliance, employment and training, community investment, business opportunities and policy and legislative reform. This included nine mine sites, numerous exploration tenements, port and rail facilities. I also provided key support to the Caroona Coal Project team (NSW) in the development of the native title strategy for future, planned negotiations.
  • To be successful in this role, it was necessary to work closely and collaboratively across all functions and sites.
  • I was responsible for managing relationships with Indigenous stakeholders to enable business units to obtain approvals and proceed with project activities in a timely, consistent and cost effective manner, whilst enhancing our social licence to operate.
  • I reset relationships with Traditional Owners groups, leading key improvements in our Indigenous engagement framework, which included renegotiating agreements and arbitration for cost recovery.
  • I have developed cultural heritage procedures for BMA/BMC operations for exploration, development and production stages. I have redesigned and re-negotiated the cultural heritage management agreements used by BMA and BMC, approved under Queensland’s cultural heritage legislation to provide increased certainty for the company in relation to compliance, scheduling and workability. I have established processes to ensure compliance with GLDO.56 for Aboriginal engagement and payments.
  • I negotiated native title agreements for the Goonyella Complex Mine expansion (Red Hill project) for BMA and Wards Well Mine for BMC and was part of the team that negotiated the ILUA for the Hay Point Coal Port Expansion.
  • I developed the employment strategy for the new Daunia and Caval Ridge Mines and worked closely with DATSIMA personnel to successfully meet a target of 5% Indigenous workforce. I also developed a strategy targeting 5% Indigenous employment for BMA’s overall work force by FY19. I have developed and supported Queensland Coal’s Indigenous traineeship program since 2011.
  • I initiated and supported community investment projects with a number of Traditional Owner groups and Central Queensland University. As a result, BMA initiated an Indigenous tendering opportunity for an exploration drilling contract worth around AUD$17M which was awarded to a 100% owned Indigenous joint venture in December 2013.
  • Other activities:
  • I was BHPB’s representative on the QRC Indigenous Affairs Committee and Community and Social Policy Working groups.
  • I sat on BHPB’s National Indigenous Working Group and was a member of the group that developed BHPB’s new Reconciliation Action Plan.

Principal Community Engagement and Cultural Heritage

MET Serve
09.2010 - 12.2010
  • Provision of advice on EIS approvals, cultural heritage, native title, social impact assessments as well as community engagement for major coal mining projects.

Community Relations and Cultural Heritage Manager

Cape Alumina
06.2010 - 06.2010
  • This project became unviable due to the Queensland Government’s decision under the Wild Rivers legislation and the position was no longer required.

Associate Director, Cultural Heritage and Native Title

AECOM
09.2008 - 05.2010
  • I was responsible for developing and growing a national cultural heritage and native title team and practice within AECOM, including recruiting and managing the team. My focus was initially on Queensland, although I also developed a national client base, including clients in ACT, NSW and South Australia.
  • Clients included:
  • Santos
  • ENERGEX
  • Brisbane City Council
  • Queensland Rail
  • Department of Defence
  • Queensland Department of Infrastructure and Planning
  • I submitted and presented a paper at the APPEA conference in May 2010.

Director, Cultural Heritage Coordination Unit

Dept of Natural Resources and Water, Qld
07.2003 - 09.2008
  • I was responsible for implementing the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 and the Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Act 2003 in Queensland, including exercising full delegated decision making powers under the legislation on behalf of the Minister and the Director-General.
  • In particular, I was responsible for:
  • Successfully managing the machinery of government change from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water;
  • Establishing the Cultural Heritage Coordination Unit, recruiting 11 personnel and managing the team;
  • Developing the mechanisms envisaged under the cultural heritage legislation for the assessment and management of cultural heritage, including drafting the cultural heritage duty of care guidelines and cultural heritage management plan guidelines gazetted under the legislation;
  • Establishing the cultural heritage database and cultural heritage register;
  • Ensuring the consideration of cultural heritage is core business within Queensland Government departments and agencies;
  • Providing cultural heritage, and related advice, to traditional owners, proponents and government agencies;
  • Maintaining networks with Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders.
  • I was responsible for managing change across Queensland in relation to the future direction of cultural heritage management. Key to this was the provision of training to internal and external stakeholders (including departmental compliance areas) and the development of communications strategies for cultural heritage and the relevant legislative provisions.

Acting General Manager, Compliance, Operational Review and Special Projects

Dept of Natural Resources and Water, Qld
01.2007 - 03.2007
  • For periods in January 2007 and March 2007, I was responsible for ensuring stakeholder compliance with legislation administered by Natural Resources and Water, including cultural heritage and vegetation management legislation, and legislation relating to the care and management of wild animals.

Coordinator, Indigenous Cultural Heritage Taskforce

Dept of the Premier and Cabinet, Qld
02.2000 - 07.2003
  • I was directly responsible for leading the whole of government review of the Cultural Record Act 1987 and for developing Queensland’s current cultural heritage legislation and associated policies and guidelines.
  • This required working to, and meeting, timeframes and deadlines. I led a multi-disciplinary team from various government departments and successfully managed those with often competing and diverse views. The review affected every land user in Queensland.
  • At the time I became Coordinator, the review had little support from stakeholders. I set a change in the strategic direction of the review during the State-wide public consultation round in 2000 and 2002. This required the use of highly developed consultation and negotiation skills with traditional owners, government and non-government stakeholders, community representatives and the public.
  • I delivered a detailed verbal briefing on the legislation to the Queensland Cabinet, as well as to the deputy leader of the opposition, and successfully negotiated the legislation through every step of the parliamentary process. The legislation received widespread support from stakeholders in Queensland and cross-party support in the Queensland Parliament. Other States have expressed interest in Queensland’s model.

Manager of the Future Acts Unit, Native Title Services

Dept of the Premier and Cabinet, Qld
07.1999 - 02.2000
  • I managed Future Act approvals across each Queensland Government department and agency, statutory bodies and local governments. I was responsible for auditing and reviewing Queensland’s native title procedures to ensure effective compliance with native title and related legislation and developed strategies to resolve native title issues in a complex and changing regulatory environment.

Team Leader State Negotiators

Dept. of the Premier and Cabinet, Qld
04.1998 - 07.1999
  • Coordinated State input to native title claims and native title negotiations, relating to private development and mining projects, including right to negotiate agreements for the Coppabella and Marlborough Nickel mines.

Senior Legal Officer

Dept of the Premier and Cabinet
04.1997 - 04.1998
  • Mediation of native title claims. Represented the State in the Federal Court on native title matters. Provision of policy and legal advice within the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and across government and non-governmental agencies in relation to a range of matters, including native title and cultural heritage.

Principal Adviser, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Interests Sub Program

Dept of Natural Resources, Qld
07.1995 - 04.1997
  • I was responsible for leading Queensland’s policy input in the mediation of native title claims. I was also responsible for developing and implementing the first set of native title procedures for government departments and agencies to ensure compliance with native title legislation and coordinating related advice across government.

Policy Adviser

Department Of Lands, Qld
05.1994 - 07.1995
  • Represented the State in the mediation of native title claims in the National Native Title Tribunal. Provided and coordinated policy and legal advice to governmental and non-governmental agencies to ensure compliance with native title legislation.

Legal Officer

Crown Law, Qld
12.1993 - 05.1994
  • Provided legal advice to governmental and non-governmental agencies in relation to native title and cultural heritage.

Barrister-At-Law

Middle Temple/Grays Inn, London
10.1988 - 06.1993
  • Practiced as a barrister in private practice in England and Wales – common law practice and criminal advocacy, including numerous jury trials.

Education

BA Honours - Law

University of Cambridge

Bar Finals - undefined

Skills

  • Innovative thinking
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Problem-solving
  • Excellent communication
  • Relationship building
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Conflict resolution
  • Strategic planning
  • Negotiation

Accomplishments


  • Developed and implemented the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 (Qld) and the Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Act 2003 (Qld). Negotiated machinery of government changes from the Environmental Protection Authority to the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water. Established the Cultural Heritage Coordination Unit.
  • Authored the Aboriginal cultural heritage duty of care guidelines and the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Plan Guidelines.
  • Coordinated the Indigenous cultural heritage review. Responsible for implementing a change in the strategic direction and management of the review, attracting widespread support from all stakeholders and cross party support in the Queensland Parliament. This legislation had the potential to affect every land user in Queensland.
  • Negotiated, and drafted, the first two Indigenous Land Use Agreements registered in Queensland (in Mackay) involving four overlapping and competing registered native title groups.
  • Successfully negotiated the first non-claimant native title application to be lodged by a proponent with the agreement of the native title parties.

Certification

  • Barrister - England and Wales
  • Barrister - Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Barrister - High Court of Australia

Timeline

Manager, Cultural Heritage and Aboriginal Engagement

Santos Ltd
08.2024 - 01.2024

Country and Culture Manager

Indjalandji-Dhidhanu Aboriginal Corporation (IDAC) (Myuma Group)
12.2020 - 07.2024

Head – Indigenous Engagement

Adani Mining
12.2018 - 12.2020

Manager Community (Indigenous and other stakeholders)

BHP Billiton (Coal)
01.2015 - 06.2016

Principal – Indigenous Relations

BHP Billiton Queensland, Coal
01.2011 - 12.2015

Principal Community Engagement and Cultural Heritage

MET Serve
09.2010 - 12.2010

Community Relations and Cultural Heritage Manager

Cape Alumina
06.2010 - 06.2010

Associate Director, Cultural Heritage and Native Title

AECOM
09.2008 - 05.2010

Acting General Manager, Compliance, Operational Review and Special Projects

Dept of Natural Resources and Water, Qld
01.2007 - 03.2007

Director, Cultural Heritage Coordination Unit

Dept of Natural Resources and Water, Qld
07.2003 - 09.2008

Coordinator, Indigenous Cultural Heritage Taskforce

Dept of the Premier and Cabinet, Qld
02.2000 - 07.2003

Manager of the Future Acts Unit, Native Title Services

Dept of the Premier and Cabinet, Qld
07.1999 - 02.2000

Team Leader State Negotiators

Dept. of the Premier and Cabinet, Qld
04.1998 - 07.1999

Senior Legal Officer

Dept of the Premier and Cabinet
04.1997 - 04.1998

Principal Adviser, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Interests Sub Program

Dept of Natural Resources, Qld
07.1995 - 04.1997

Policy Adviser

Department Of Lands, Qld
05.1994 - 07.1995

Legal Officer

Crown Law, Qld
12.1993 - 05.1994

Barrister-At-Law

Middle Temple/Grays Inn, London
10.1988 - 06.1993

Bar Finals - undefined

BA Honours - Law

University of Cambridge

Queensland Resources Indigenous Advocacy Champion

2015

Recognised for leading Indigenous advocacy in the Queensland Resources Sector and for the Best Company Indigenous employment initiative 

2016

Highly Commended

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Paul Travers