Committee member

The Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Water Interests

Job description/overview

Are you an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person with ancestral links to your community, and do you want to influence and drive positive change on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ water rights and interests? 

If so, we want to hear from you! This is an exciting opportunity to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ inland water rights, values, and interests with governments and water stakeholders at national and state and territory levels. 

CAWI has several vacancies coming up. We are looking for collaborative leaders with expertise across a range of areas, such as:

• western and Cultural water rights and interests
• water science and management
• water policy and planning.

About you 

You will be a motivated person who:

• identifies and is accepted as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person (the filling of Committee member vacancies is intended to constitute an affirmative measure under section 8(1) of the 'Racial Discrimination Act 1975'. Committee member vacancies are only available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples)
• has extensive experience in any of these areas:
  • Western and Cultural water rights and interests.
  • Water science.
  • Management and leadership.
  • Advocacy and working with government.
  • Strategic governance and communications.
  • Policy and planning.
• is committed to elevating the Cultural, spiritual, social, economic, and environmental interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples across Australia’s inland water policies, programs, and legislation consistent with the Echuca Declaration (Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations, Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations, Echuca Declaration, 2007)
• is committed to ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have enduring access to, ownership of, and management of inland waters
• can utilise their local expertise to contribute strategically to the national water reform agenda. 

Highly desirable skills, knowledge, and experience 

We are seeking someone with the following skills and desirable expertise and experience: 

1. An ability to think strategically to engage at a national level, shape agendas, and communicate with influence, including the ability to negotiate and influence the development of strategies, legislation, and policies with federal, state and territory governments.
2. Demonstrated high standard of leadership, professionalism, probity, and personal integrity.
3. Strong verbal and written skills, particularly with regards to advocating for, and speaking publicly with stakeholders about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ water interests.
4. Capacity to participate and actively engage in CAWI meetings, including preparatory work leading up to meetings.
5. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and respect differing points of view to achieve shared outcomes.
6. Experience working with government or private organisations, universities, or industries, nationally and internationally. 

It is highly desirable, though not essential, that you have water science, water policy, water management, and water markets expertise. 

Other desirable skills and experience include:

• Legal/customary law.
• Ethics/risk/compliance.
• Governance.
• Strategic communications and strategic policy.
• Urban water.
• Indigenous heritage protection or underwater Cultural heritage.
• Conservation or sustainability.
• Desalination.
• Ground water/aquifer.
• Stormwater harvesting.
• Published water researcher or author. 

Please note that due to the nature of CAWI’s independent role, we are unable to accept applications from persons currently working for federal or state and territory governments. Applicants from local government councils will be considered. 

What we offer

You will have an opportunity to work and collaborate with CAWI members from across Australia who have extensive expertise across western and Cultural water rights and interests, water science and management, and water policy and planning. You will also be a part of a committee that is intimately involved in setting the water reform agenda for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for the next decade. 

CAWI members are remunerated, including the payment of sitting fees for attendance at meetings, as well as payment of fee’s for reading time, as per the following table. 

Sitting fees
Position	Daily rate (>5 hours)	Hourly rate (<5 hours)
Chair	$1,135	$227
Deputy Chair	$946	$189.20
Member	$757	$151.40

All travel, accommodation, and meal allowances are arranged and paid for by the department. Travel costs are met by the department and travel allowance is paid in accordance with Tier 2 of the Remuneration Tribunal Official Travel Determination 2025. 

What’s involved 

CAWI meets face-to-face at least four times a year (dates are generally available on the CAWI web page on the department’s website at www.dcceew.gov.au), with meetings typically running for up to three days. Face-to-face meetings are held in different states and territories, including some regional centres, and rotate between northern and southern locations. Additional online meetings may be held for Committee-related business. These are typically one day in length. 

Members are expected to be well prepared for all meetings. 

Members can expect the following workload:

• Up to 20 days of formal CAWI meetings per year and in addition to this with sub-group work.
• Some weekend and out-of-hours travel may be required to attend face-to-face meetings.
• Up to 3–5 hours per week of CAWI-related work, depending upon sub-group work, with an increase in hours required leading up to meetings. 

The CAWI Chair may delegate work to members in accordance with expertise, capacity, and interest, with a view to maintaining fair and equitable workloads across all CAWI members. 

How to apply 

1. Submit the following to the CAWI Secretariat at CAWI.EOI@dcceew.gov.au by 11:59pm AEST Tuesday 11 November 2025 (please note, late applications will not be accepted): A statement of claim (no more than 2 pages) telling us how you meet the CAWI member criteria, including outlining your previous experience, skills, knowledge, experience and expertise. Make sure your statement addresses the skills and desirable expertise and experience section.
2. A current resume or CV of no more than 4 pages, with contact details for two professional referees that can speak to your experience, skills, knowledge, experience and expertise. 

Successful applicants will be invited to attend an interview either face-to-face or online with up to three Australian Government First Nations senior executive staff. Please note that if you are shortlisted, interviews will be conducted during the week of 17 November 2025. 

Appointments to CAWI are for a period of 12 months, with an option to extend for a further 12 months, which is subject to consideration by the National Water Committee Chair. 

Applicants who are found suitable, but not selected, will be placed on a merit list for 12 months to fill vacancies as required. Please advise if you do not wish to be included in this applicant pool. 

For information for applicants with disabilities see https://www.dcceew.gov.au/about/jobs/disability