Mandingalbay Yidinji Aboriginal Corporation Eco-Tourism Project

Award Winning Excellence

Ethos Urban, Philip Follent Architects, and AWC were engaged by the Mandingalbay Yidinji Aboriginal Corporation (MYAC) and Djunbunji Pty Ltd to undertake an eco-tourism project on land adjoining the Trinity Inlet in Cairns.

The project represents a substantial investment in tourism in Trinity Inlet and is also focused on employment and skills generation for the local Aboriginal people. It is significant in its legacy and will play a significant role in providing environmental and cultural education to Cairns’ tourists.  

The project commenced with an analysis of two Aboriginal freehold lots, having regard for planning, environmental and design constraints, and opportunities. It then progressed into the preparation of a design for eco-tourism and a strategic property management plan. The process included significant consultation and involvement with the MYAC, Djunbunji rangers and MY people and resulted in conceptual drawings for a boardwalk, 3 activity towers and a range of potential land uses requiring further investigation.  

The project is an excellent example of close collaboration with an Indigenous community to produce an outcome that was unanimously accepted and will result in steps toward self-sufficiency for the MY people.  

Ethos Urban was subsequently engaged to obtain planning approval for the $50 million project which was awarded approval. The project also went on to win Award for Planning Excellence in 2019 as part of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) Queensland.