The Wongatha and Yamatji Peoples are the Traditional Owners of the arid sandalwood lands and Western Deserts.
For Traditional Owners, sandalwood provided a huge variety of benefits including ceremonial, medicinal and nutritional and had at least 15 Indigenous names across its extensive range.
Unfortunately, soon after European occupation, large-scale commercial exploitation of sandalwood took off, with historical photos showing mountains of sandalwood awaiting export from Fremantle to Asia and beyond.
The wild sandalwood quota needs to be substantially reduced to an ecologically sustainable level.
The recognition of native title rights and interests in the desert and across the rangelands has created an opportunity for Traditional Owners to access, take and use resources, including sandalwood and manage their country in a culturally grounded, sustainable way.
Sandalwood is an economic opportunity for First Nations enterprises such as Dutjahn Custodians, Sandalwood Dreaming harvestors and communities like Kutkabubba, Yilka and native title groups.
Traditional Owner enterprises should be licensed to take and use wild sandalwood and ensure regeneration on their lands. Proceeds from Traditional Owner-based Sandalwood enterprises can contribute to addressing socio-economic disadvantage, creating jobs, invest in seeding and renewing long term growth of wild sandalwood. This is best done directly between Traditional Owners and DBCA.
There is no longer any defensible role for the FPC and it should cease to have any involvement in wild sandalwood.