Resources and publications
Title | Author /s | Summary | Date | Tag(s) | Type |
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A Way Forward - Final report into the destruction of Indigenous heritage sites at Juukan Gorge | Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia | This report is the final report resulting from the federal parliamentary inquiry into the destruction of the Juukan Gorge Aboriginal heritage sites by Rio Tinto on 24 May 2020. This tragic event, and the national condemnation of the actions of Rio Tinto, has sparked action to address the legislative failings that allowed the destruction of the Juukan Gorge sites–and similar sites around the nation. The Juukan Gorge disaster is just one example of countless instances where cultural heritage has been the victim of the drive for development and commercial gain. The report makes a number of recommendations aimed at preventing future destruction.
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Caring for Country, Culture, Heritage, Mining | Report | |
Aboriginal assets? the impact of major agreements associated with native title in Western Australia | Sarah Prout Quicke, Alfred Michael Dockery, Aileen Hoath | This report, conducted for the Department of Regional Development, addresses the question of how effective agreements arising from native title determinations are at meeting the needs and aspirations of Aboriginal peoples who have achieved, or are pursuing (through registered native title claims), legal recognition as native title holders. The report research is based on a review of relevant academic and ‘grey’ literature as well as case studies of the experiences of three Western Australian Aboriginal native title groups in their efforts to leverage agreements with government and industry to enhance their wellbeing and pursue their aspirations. |
Agreements, ILUA (Indigenous Land Use Agreement), Mining, Native Title Act, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate), Trusts | Report | |
Banking the credit of community ownership – the Victorian experience | Jeremy Clark, Janine Coombs | This paper examines the potential for native title organisations with limited asset bases to engage in successful commercial activity through joint venture enterprises. Firstly, we describe the development of the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations as a state ‘peak-body’ of local native title organisations. We then discuss the Federation’s program of economic and commercial development both for its members and as an entity in itself, including the establishment of its incorporated joint ventures; Barpa Constructions Pty Ltd and On Country Heritage and Consulting Pty Ltd and commentary on the significance of the Commonwealth’s Indigenous Procurement Policy as a factor in this process. The final section of the paper draws upon the experience of the Federation to examine how the legitimacy bestowed by the community ownership of native title organisations’ businesses creates a market advantage which is attractive to joint venture partners and can more than offset and deficit in terms of monetary resources available for investment in a newly established enterprise. The paper concludes by reflecting that the market advantage bestowed by community ownership may well be a product of the racism inherent in Australian society’s hostility to wealthy Indigenous individuals. |
Commercial development, Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporation, Finance, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate) | 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 | |
Enabling Prosperity: Success Factors for Indigenous Economic Development | URBIS | Westpac commissioned Urbis to undertake research to understand the key drivers of economic development for Indigenous Australians. The aim of the research was to provide an evidence-base analysis of factors that support entrepreneurship and economic development, building on Australian and international literature and research. The overarching research question was: What factors lead to successful economic development and job creation in Indigenous communities? |
Commercial development, Employment, Finance | Report | |
Hunting, shooting, fishing: the content of native title rights and the right to take and use resources for commercial purposes | Elizabeth Harvey | The recognition of native title in the Mabo decision has led to consideration and debate in the media and the Australian community over the content and scope of native title rights for hunting, fishing and the taking and using of resources. This presentation will look at the content of these native title rights, and how they are understood and regulated, including the protections in section 211 of the Native Title Act, the effect of the decision in Yanner v Eaton (1999) 201 CLR 351, and how this interacts with other environmental management and threatened species legislation. It will then look forward to more recent recognition of commercial fishing and trading rights, as considered in Akiba on behalf of the Torres Strait Islanders of the Regional Seas Claim Group v Queensland (No 2) [2010] FCA 643 and Rrumburriya Borroloola Claim Group v Northern Territory of Australia [2016] FCA 776, how those rights can be demonstrated and their interaction with government regulation. |
Commercial development, Fishing, Hunting, Right to take | Presentation | |
In the Native Title 'hot tub': expert conferences and concurrent expert evidence in Native Title | Vance Hughston, Tina Jowett | In the Native Title ‘hot tub’ outlines the history and development of expert conferencing and expert concurrent evidence in Australia, including in the Federal Court. These approaches to expert evidence are a major development of the last decade, greatly reducing the hearing time of Native Title proceedings and the costs to the parties involved. The authors explore how expert conferences and concurrent evidence can narrow the issues in the Native Title claims of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, discussing in particular their experiences in four recent cases. |
AIATSIS, Finance, Native Title Act | Article / paper | |
Indigenous Advancement Strategy Grant Guidelines - March 2016 (updated August 2019) | National Indigenous Australians Agency | This document provides guidance for applicants applying for PBC Capacity Building grant funding under the IAS. It provides key information to assist applicants to complete the application form and should be read in conjunction with the IAS Grant Guidelines. An Application Form and draft Project Agreement together with the IAS Guidelines can be found on the Department’s website. |
Finance, Funding | Information Sheet | |
National picture: growth of Prescribed Bodies Corporate | Belinda Burbidge | The Prescribed Body Corporate (PBC) research snapshot series has been developed to share findings from the Native Title Research Unit's (NTRU) investigation into the constitutions and financial reports of PBCs. This research forms part of the PBC Capability project which aims to develop a long-term national picture of the PBC sector. This snapshot provides an overview of the NTRU's analysis of the publicly available financial data submitted to the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC), and examines the financial growth and development of PBCs from the financial year 2010-11 to 2015-16. |
AIATSIS, Finance, Funding, ORIC, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate) | Report | |
National picture: Small native title corporations – income and costs | Iain G. Johnston, Belinda Burbidge | The Prescribed Body Corporate (PBC) research snapshot series has been developed to share findings from the Native Title Research Unit’s (NTRU) investigation into the constitutions and financial reports of PBCs. This research forms part of the PBC Capability project which aims to develop a long-term national picture of the PBC sector. This snapshot examines the distribution of wealth and growth of PBCs by size between the years 2010-11 and 2015-16 calculated in terms of net totals and growth rates in the areas of income, assets, equity and staff. |
AIATSIS, Finance, ORIC, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate) | Report | |
Native Title Information Handbooks - PBC Funding and Training Guide | The Native Title Information Handbooks provide a summary of resources and information relating to key areas of native title. The Handbooks provide information about:
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Agreements, Determinations, Future acts, IPA (Indigenous Protected Areas), Land and sea management, Land and water, NNTC (National Native Title Council), NTRB (Native Title Representative Body), NTSP (Native Title Service Provider), PBC Regulations, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate) | Information Sheet | ||
Native Title Report 2005 | 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, Finance, Human rights, Legal, Native Title Act | Report | |
Native Title Report 2006 | 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. |
Agreements, Commercial development, Finance, Funding, Land rights, Mining, Water rights | Report | |
Native Title Report 2009 | 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. |
Determinations, Native Title Act | Report | |
Planning for the future: maximising native title compensation through the use of future funds | Pamela Kaye, Glenys Hayes | A number of native title groups have seeded their own Future Funds and are growing an asset base to meet the needs of future generations. We will discuss the governance policies, investment strategies and transparent reporting structures of Future Funds, including their ability to take a long term view of investments and ride out world economic cycles. In Griffiths v Northern Territory of Australia (Timber Creek Decision) the Federal Court ordered that the Northern Territory Government pay $3.3M including $1,488,261 for interest, to the Traditional Owners as compensation. The court considered that ‘the appropriate interest calculation is simple interest’ as there was insufficient commercial activity to justify compounding returns. In this presentation we will explore how investing a portion of available funds in a Future Fund may influence the courts to apply compound interest. Economic modelling will demonstrate that with a Future Fund the settlement amount could’ve been entirely different. |
Compensation, Finance, Funding, Trusts | Presentation | |
Remuneration - a report benchmarking the salaries of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations | Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations | A report detailing information obtained from corporations registered under the CATSI Act on remuneration and other benefits paid to directors, senior managers and other staff. |
Bookkeeping, Commercial development, Finance, Governance, ORIC | Report | |
Social Justice and Native Title Report 2016 | 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, Finance, Heritage, Native Title Act | Report | |
Special administrations: what funding agencies, creditors and employees should know | Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations | This fact sheet provides general information for funding agencies, creditors and employees about special administrations under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act). |
Finance, Governance, ORIC, Special administration | Information Sheet | |
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 |