Resources and publications
Title | Author /s | Summary | Date Sort descending | Tag(s) | Type |
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Caring for country and sustainable Indigenous development: Opportunities, constraints and innovation | John Altman, Peter Whitehead | This paper explores how Indigenous community-based natural resource management can generate both conservation benefit and economic development opportunity. We begin by noting that much of the Indigenous estate in north Australia is either thinly populated or unpopulated. There is emerging evidence that, in situations where Indigenous people live on their country, ecological and wider benefits are generated via favourable fire regimes, control over weed infestations, and potentially through feral animal harvesting. When people are on country, they generate economic benefit for themselves by harvesting wildlife for consumption and engage with the market sector by using natural resources in commercial enterprise like arts and crafts production. We argue that there is a strong correlation between such activities and cost-effective natural resource management. Links between landcare, wildlife use and biodiversity conservation need to be recognized, celebrated and supported. The removal of many barriers to enhanced and innovative Indigenous participation in such activities, and equitable public support through programs like Landcare, will facilitate sustainable economic development options that are compatible with Indigenous priorities, while ameliorating Indigenous disadvantage. |
CAEPR, Caring for Country, Commercial development, Community development, Environment, Fire, Land and sea management | Article / paper | |
Native Title Report 2004 | Australian Human Rights Commission | Under the Native Title Act 1993, the Social Justice Commissioner is required to prepare a Native Title Report each year for federal Parliament. Through these reports the Commissioner gives a human rights perspective on native title issues and advocates for practical co-existence between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups in using land. |
Commercial development, Community development, ILUA (Indigenous Land Use Agreement), Native Title Act | Report | |
Building Indigenous community governance in Australia: Preliminary research findings | Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research | This is a preliminary research report from the first year of fieldwork conducted by the Indigenous Community Governance Project (ICGP). The Project is exploring the nature of Indigenous community governance in diverse contexts and locations across Australia through a series of diverse case studies—to understand what works, what doesn’t work, and why. A comparative analysis of the Project’s case studies is revealing that governance and decision-making in Indigenous community governance is shaped by multiple historical, cultural and political relationships. Family and governance histories associated with particular communities and sets of regionally-linked communities are central features in community governance dynamics and arrangements. Strengthening Indigenous community governance requires negotiating appropriate contemporary relationships among the different Indigenous people within a region or community, and adapting or creating structures and processes to reflect important relationships. Several dimensions are being identified as being fundamental to building stronger, sustainable governance at the community and regional levels. These are the impact of the wider ‘governance environment’, cultural match and cultural geography, modes of leadership and representation, institutional capacity, organisational design and relationships, representation, decision-making processes, and human resource issues. Capacity development for governance needs to be considered within a systems framework and should be a process that actively strengthens Indigenous decision-making and control over their core institutions, goals and identity, and that enhances cultural match and legitimacy. The report concludes with some emerging issues and implications for policy makers and for Indigenous organisations and their leaders. |
Capacity building, Community development, Decision making, Governance, Leadership, Partnerships | Report | |
Maps to Success: Successful strategies in Indigenous Organisations | Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies | This publication is intended for Indigenous communities and organisations, and aimed at promulgating successful management initiatives that could be adopted by other organisations working in similar fields. Indigenous communities can use this handbook as a practical source of ideas and an inspiration for adoption and adaptation. Information is organised in this handbook as a tour through a typical organisation, starting at the front door and moving through the different areas or rooms. Readers can go directly to their main area of interest, such as the accounts department, read straight through or browse. The plans do not represent any particular organisation. At the end of the book, there are brief snapshots of the participating organisations. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to any issue. In fact, many organisations have found different solutions to the same problems. The road to success is always under construction. |
AIATSIS, Commercial development, Community development, Governance, Leadership | Report | |
Statistics for Community Governance: The Yawuru Indigenous Population Survey of Broome | John Taylor, Bruce Doran, Maria Parriman, Eunice Yu | This paper presents a case study of an exercise in Aboriginal community governance. It sets out the background events that led the Yawuru Native Title Holders Aboriginal Corporation to secure information for its own needs as an act of self-determination and essential governance, and it presents some of the key findings from that exercise |
CAEPR, Community development, Data sovereignty, Governance, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate), Strategic planning | Article / paper | |
Joint management of protected areas in Australia: native title and other pathways towards a community of practice | Toni Bauman, Claire Stacey, Gabrielle Lauder | On 3 and 4 April 2012, the Northern Territory Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport (NRETAS) and the Native Title Research Unit (NTRU) at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) convened a workshop of state, territory and Commonwealth government staff working in joint management and native title at the Alice Springs Desert Park. The workshop was titled Joint Management of Protected Areas in Australia: Native Title and Other Pathways towards a Community of Practice. This report captures the workshop where government staff working in joint management shared information about their approach and identified practical issues in developing a community of practice.
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AIATSIS, Community development, IPA (Indigenous Protected Areas), Joint Management | Report | |
Assessment of the social outcomes of the WOC program | Urbis Pty Ltd | This report documents findings from research undertaken by Urbis to assess the social outcomes of Working on Country (WoC). |
Caring for Country, Community development, Environment, Land and sea management | Report | |
Social Justice and Native Title Report 2014 | Australian Human Rights Commission | Under the Native Title Act 1993, the Social Justice Commissioner is required to prepare a Native Title Report each year for federal Parliament. Through these reports the Commissioner gives a human rights perspective on native title issues and advocates for practical co-existence between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups in using land. |
Community development, Governance, Justice, Native Title Act | Report | |
Gkuthaarn and Kukatj Land and Sea Country Plan | GKuthaarn and Kukatj Traditional Owners, Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation | The Gkuthaarn and Kukatj Land and Saltwater Country Plan is a strategic document that provides a framework for our people and our partners to work together to care for all the natural and cultural values of our country, while providing a sustainable livelihood for our community and others with rights and interests in our land and saltwater country. |
Commercial development, Community development, Employment, Environment, Indigenous knowledge, Land and sea management, Tourism, Youth | Report | |
What works in effective Indigenous community-managed programs and organisations | Sam Morley | Many Indigenous organisations in urban, rural and remote areas are successfully managing a broad range of programs and services for their communities. This paper reviews available literature on Indigenous community-managed programs and organisations and summarises what is working in successful community-managed programs. It also considers some literature about the use of community development approaches and how they support successful Indigenous community-managed programs. This paper is intended for practitioners and policy-makers working with Indigenous communities to manage their own programs and organisations. |
Community development, Governance, Leadership | Report | |
Social Justice and Native Title Report 2015 | Australian Human Rights Commission | Under the Native Title Act 1993, the Social Justice Commissioner is required to prepare a Native Title Report each year for federal Parliament. Through these reports the Commissioner gives a human rights perspective on native title issues and advocates for practical co-existence between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups in using land. |
Childhood, Community development, Disability, Native Title Act, Youth | Report | |
Connection to Country: Review of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) (ALRC Report 126) | Australian Law Reform Commission | This report marks the first major review of ‘connection’ in native title claims—central to native title determinations—since the introduction of the Native Title Act. The report also examines authorisation of persons bringing native title claims and joinder of parties, and includes 30 recommendations for reform. |
Community development, Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous law, Native Title Act, Resolution | Report | |
Sustainable development through asset leasing | Graeme Smith, Ray McInnes, Gordon Noonan | This panel explores an approach to leveraging the income streams of native title groups and other Indigenous organisations in order to finance community development projects or local businesses. The approach involves the use of asset leasing solutions developed by IBA which supports Indigenous groups to sustainably manage their business or community development assets. IBA has been able to support a number of Indigenous organisations around Australia using asset leasing solutions to acquire a very diverse range of assets, including for civil construction assets, demountable accommodation, vehicles, machinery and equipment. The panel will explore a case-study, where IBA and Manungurra Aboriginal Corporation have been working together to finance the acquisition of Manungurra’s community development assets including vehicles and solar panels with battery storage for outstation housing. These assets are part of a broader Manungurra community development plan which aims to ensure traditional owners are supported in their goal to live independently on-country Ray McInnes' presentation can be downloaded here. Graeme Smith & Gordon Noonan's presentation can be downloaded below. |
Business, Commercial development, Community development, Environment, Land and sea management | Presentation | |
Consolidated report on Indigenous Protected Areas following Social Return on Investment analyses | Social Ventures Australia | PM&C commissioned SVA Consulting to understand, measure or estimate and value the changes resulting from the investment in five IPAs across Australia. The Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology was used to complete each of these analyses, which were informed by interviews with 143 stakeholders as well as desktop research canvassing relevant qualitative and quantitative data. |
Caring for Country, Community development, IPA (Indigenous Protected Areas), Land and sea management, Tourism, Training | Report | |
Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2016 | Australian Government Productivity Commission | The Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report measures the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. This comprehensive report card measures where things have improved (or not) against 52 indicators across a range of areas including governance, leadership and culture, early childhood, education, health, home and safe and supportive communities, and includes case studies on things that work to improve outcomes. The report is produced in consultation with all Australian governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. |
Community development, Leadership | Report | |
The Far West Coast Experience | April Lawrie, Peter Miller, Barry (Jack) Johncock | The Far West Coast journey from Applicant through to Consent Determination and holding Native Title has been an exciting one. There have been considerable challenges and we have faced many obstacles. Along the way we have also learnt many valuable lessons, not the least that we needed even more change and further development once Native Title was granted and we began a new life as a PBC. Today, as a young PBC we are on track to be a self-supporting and stand-alone resource for our members. We now have commercial ventures, investments and an Aboriginal Trust that we own and operate. Our presentation seeks to share how we got here and the changes to structures, practices and our organisation to achieve early success as a PBC and a group of entities. |
Agreements, Business, Commercial development, Community development, Determinations, Governance, Heritage, Mining, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate), Training, Trusts | Presentation | |
Commercial opportunities from Native Title: The Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara peoples' journey to economic benefit | Ian Crombie, John Hender | The Coober Pedy region of South Australia is the traditional country of the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people. The Native Title journey of the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people started in 1995 when their claim commenced. After achieving Native Title determination, successfully negotiating a number of ILUAs and winning their first major commercial contract, their journey continues today. This session will discuss the experiences of the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people and how they have used Native Title to help achieve their community aspirations. Ian Crombie, Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal Corporation vice-chairman and Elder, will describe the many obstacles, decisions, learnings and successes, that have brought the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people to where they are in their journey today. Importantly, he will discuss the challenges of balancing immediate community needs with both commercial opportunities and future goals. |
Commercial development, Community development, Future acts, Land and sea management, Mining, Strategic planning, Trusts | Presentation | |
Let’s talk about success: exploring factors behind positive change in Aboriginal communities | Janet Hunt | This paper draws on interviews with leaders of successful Aboriginal organisations to understand the factors behind the successes that they are achieving in their communities. |
CAEPR, Community development, Making it work | Article / paper | |
Country needs People | Country needs People | The Country Needs People campaign is fighting for the growth and security of opportunities for land and sea country management by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. |
Caring for Country, Community development, Environment, Fire, Fishing, Land and sea management, Rangers / caring for country, Youth | Website | |
NAILSMA Information Hub | North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance | The North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance Ltd (NAILSMA) is a leader in finding practical solutions to support Indigenous people manage their land and sea resources into the future. NAILSMA, a not-for-profit company, has over a decade of experience in delivering complex and challenging programs across north Australia. |
Carbon farming, Commercial development, Community development, Indigenous knowledge, Rangers / caring for country, Water | Website |