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The Australian Parliament’s Northern Australia Committee has tabled the report of its inquiry: The engagement of traditional owners in the economic development of northern Australia.
The report found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are keen to participate in the economic development of northern Australia, both for their own communities and for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Committee Chair Hon Warren Entsch MP said, ‘The challenge for traditional owners is to leverage the rights provided by native title and land rights for the economic and social advancement of their communities.’
‘The bodies representing traditional owners have a very large burden of responsibilities and expectations placed upon them, but government funding and capacity-building support for them is insufficient. Secure, long-term funding is essential’ Mr Entsch added.
Mr Entsch stressed, ‘There are important new opportunities for traditional owners in emerging sectors of the economy. These include environmental protection initiatives such as savanna burning, land management, carbon abatement and renewable energy’.
‘Opportunities like these have the special strengths of using traditional knowledge of country. They also support efforts to stay connected with country and to fulfill traditional obligations of custodianship.’
