Page 2772 - Week 09 - Thursday, 27 September 2007
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The theme of this year’s conference was ancient knowledge and science in contemporary resource management. The conference theme is of fundamental importance throughout Australia in a wide range of areas, foremost amongst which is recognition of the customary laws and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the intergenerational transmission of those. It is also important for natural and cultural resource management, including national parks, sea country and fresh water, tourism, town planning, bio innovation and indigenous employment and partnerships in a wide range of areas.
A highlight of the conference was the after-dinner speech by the Administrator of the Northern Territory, His Honour Mr Ted Egan AO. Mr Egan spoke in rich detail about the need for Australians to develop a better understanding of traditional knowledge and languages and his forthcoming book about this. He called for a new co-management framework for all national parks in Australia, bringing together Commonwealth, state and territory governments, and indigenous communities.
Conference participants heard many presentations from recognised authorities. An issue raised in several presentations was concern about the Australian government’s intervention in the Northern Territory. Concern was expressed about the lack of consultation with indigenous communities, the rushed nature of the intervention and the negative impact on indigenous employment and indigenous provision of social services.
Several presenters criticised changes to the CDEP, or community development employment program. These are said to substantially reduce the number of people doing ranger work on land and sea country and the number of people looking after the elderly and disabled. Delegates heard that indigenous unemployment may worsen by the hundreds as a result. The CDEP was said to be flexible and better able to respond to unpredictable circumstances, such as the unusual wet seasons, than regular jobs. Several speakers suggested that the aim of the policy initiatives should be to promote sustainable livelihoods, including health, wellbeing and income, rather than to erode these.
Delegates also heard that invasive species and drugs and alcohol may be more readily carried onto Aboriginal lands after the lifting of the permit system for Aboriginal lands and that more indigenous social dislocation and migration to urban areas is likely to follow.
Speakers put forward a number of sensible suggestions in their presentations about public administration in and for the territory, including:
• that all tiers of government focus on prioritising, consolidating, simplifying and lengthening programs’ funding cycles, especially for initiatives for indigenous communities. This would reduce the heavy administrative burden placed on indigenous organisations, and encourage partnerships to flourish;
• that far more time, skill and effort be expended on culturally appropriate and flexible consultation processes with indigenous stakeholders, so that clear and shared understandings can develop;
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