|
Bardi Jawi Rangers - First Indigenous Marine Rescue
Group
The Bardi Jawi Rangers look after country across the Kimberley
using a mix of traditional knowledge and western
science.
They are now set to become a professional marine unit charged with
the mission to look after country while being capable of assisting
police in sea rescues.
“To be
the first
Indigenous volunteer marine rescue group to work with
FESA(Fire
and Emergency Services Authority) is part of a vision our group has
been working towards for a couple of
years,’’ said Bardi Jawi Ranger Dwayne
George.
Read on....
I-Tracker Research & Monitoring Forum
The I-Tracker Research and Monitoring forum was held from 30 August
to 1 September at the Mary River Park near Darwin, NT.
The forum brought together over 60 people including Indigenous
rangers and ranger coordinators, community members, researchers,
and government representatives.
Delegates discussed existing and new opportunities for the use and
development of I-Tracker and the formation of partnerships centred
around research and monitoring priorities of Indigenous
communities. A video story report will be available from the forum
in the coming weeks.
Canadian First Nations Coastal Guardian Watchmen
visit
A delegation from British Columbia, Canada, attended the recent
I-Tracker Research and Monitoring forum, and went on patrol with
the Djelk Rangers at Maningrida, Arnhem Land, Northern
Territory.
The visitors were members of the Coastal Guardian Watchmen Network,
which supports coastal First Nations people indigenous to Canada to
monitor and protect their lands and waters, similar to the work
done by north Australian Indigenous rangers. The Coastal Guardian
Watchmen Network have recently launched their ‘Coast
Tracker’ program, which utilises the CyberTracker software
also used in the I-Tracker project.
To read more about the Coastal Guardians’ perspective on the
forum and their time on country with Djelk and other Traditional
Owners from the Maningrida area, and to learn more about the
Coastal Guardian Watchmen Network, visit their
blog.
Photo: Richard Brown, Sandra Thomson and Ross Wilson
Science behind savanna burning
There is a lot of complex science behind NAILMSA's Carbon
Project. See the draft
Methodology for Savanna Burning submitted to the
Carbon Farming Initiative for a detailed explanation of how
traditional Indigenous fire management abates greenhouse gas
emissions.
Photo: Winston Murpoondin, Southern Wik Ranger participating in
emmissions research.
Indigenous fire skills blaze eco friendly trail
To Read
this
and other articles about the emerging Carbon
market and the opportunities and challenges it provides
for Indigenous communities across north Australia, check the Carbon
News column on
NAILSMA's home page.
CLCAC Water Forum, Gulf of Carpentaria
Over 75 Traditional Owners of the lower Gulf of Carpentaria,
represesnting nine language groups met on Sweers Island
(Mornington Group) to talk about water planning and other land and
sea management issues.
Water Facilitator Jeremy Wilson and other Carpentaria Land Council
staff coordinated the event.
Read more about the Forum here, view Jeremy's reflections on the
event, and download the water presentations
given.
Monitoring and evaluation for GHG projects
The Carbon Project has been running small workshops and discussions
with land managers, their project partners and other key people
over the last couple of years to consider a monitoring and
evaluation (M&E) framework suitable for fire and green house
gas (GHG) management projects.
The key purposes for an M&E framework are to;
-
develop complimentary tools for Indigenous land managers to help
steer their fire abatement projects to mitigate negative impacts on
their values and aspirations and enhance beneficial outcomes;
and
-
document a range of beneficial outcomes that show the broader
holistic value of Indigenous land management and add commercial
value to the GHG offset credits generated and to the other
ecosystem services provided by Indigenous land
managers.
In early September this year NAILSMA held a workshop to pull
together the outcomes of previous activities. The resulting first
cut M&E framework will be taken back to land managers for
review before a working draft is developed for testing in
2012.
Find out more about NAILSMA's Carbon
Project by following the links on the
NAILSMA home page.
Photo: Bruce Martin, Southern Wik Ranger, lighting an early season
'cool' fire.
GARMA via new Dhimurru Ranger base
Rod Kennett,
Erica McCreedy and
Micha Jackson from the
Saltwater People Network team travelled to Arnhem
Land to witness the historic opening of the new Dhimurru Ranger
base on Friday, August 5th.
The opening was a very significant event for all involved and was a
great opportunity to reflect on the journey and successes of the
Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation since its incorporation in
1992.
After the opening, the team headed out to the Garma
Festival…
read more ....
Indigenous Water Policy Group - SIR Steering Group
Earlier this year the Indigenous Water Policy Group (IWPG) convened
a Strategic
Indigenous Reserve* (SIR) Steering Group to discuss
broad policy development of Indigenous water allocations (SIR) in
north Australian water plans. The Steering Group is made up of
prominent Indigenous leaders from north Australia and leading water
and legal research advisors.
The development of the SIR Steering Group was a pragmatic response
to water reform to consider the economic opportunity of an SIR from
developing water plans in north Australia and is in line with the
NAILSMA Water Policy Statement that says:
‘Any water plan in tropical Australia must, irrespective of
historical allocation, include an equitable Indigenous allocation
from the consumptive pool for commercial
purposes.’
Click on
image to see complete Statement.
Find out more about the SIR Steering Group activities
here.
* NOTE - A Strategic Indigenous Reserve (SIR) provides an
amount of water to Indigenous groups in a plan area for economic
development on country.
Mataranka Indigenous Water Forum
The Water Forum on 17-18 August 2011 paved the way for
Traditional Owners to take part in future government water
plans.
CEO Joe Morrison says there were positive indications at the Forum
that the Northern Territory Government is moving toward a more
inclusive water planning process.
“Talks with Government and Traditional Owners have opened up
a new line of communication. We hope that this results in
better engagement for future water planning and
management.”
In his closing remarks at the forum, Chair of the Mataranka
Traditional Owner Water Allocation Reference Group, Alan Maroney
said that both Government and Traditional Owners had come a long
way forward.
“We thank you for coming here to discuss these important
issues. The challenge now is to keep the door open to ensure
we are part of all decisions about planning and management on our
country.”
Joe Morrison says that Traditional Owners of Mataranka should be
proud for taking a lead role in engaging with government in water
planning.
"We still have a long way to go. But this is an important
step forward toward better planning processes for Indigenous
people.”
NAILSMA and the Northern Land Council (NLC) have been conducting
consultative workshops in the Oolloo and Mataranka Water Allocation
Plan areas over the past four months. This Forum is the first of
two forums to feedback results of research conducted by Dr William
Nikolakis and provide an opportunity for Traditional Owners to
contribute to the Draft Mataranka Water Allocation Plan.
Read all about the Forum including outcomes and next steps
here.
NAILSMA delivers SIR case studies in NT
NAILSMA, through its Indigenous Water Policy Group (IWPG) and with
funding from the National Water Commission, has been working on the
development of a Strategic
Indigenous Reserve (SIR) in government water plans
through a participatory research approach. The IWPG aims to deliver
SIR case study research in the NT, QLD and WA. So far, it has
completed case studies in the NT.
William Nikolakis from the Australian National University has
delivered NT case studies in the Oolloo and Mataranka Water Plan
Areas. Both these areas have government drafted Water Allocation
Plans that are yet to be released by the Minister.
A draft research report has so far been presented to Mataranka
Traditional Owner groups at the Mataranka Water Forum and is being
considered by NAILSMA and its IWPG SIR Steering Group.
Find out more about the research and its likely outcomes
here.
Photo: William Nikolakis (ANU) presenting at the Ooloo SIR Water
Planning meeting in May.
Cape York Water Forum 29 June -1 July
The Cape York Water Forum was held in conjunction with the
Apudthama Cape York Indigenous Rangers Conference.
The aims of the Forum were to:
-
seek input from Traditional Owners into water policy issues,
indigenous rights to water, water quality, water allocation and
associated land and sea management interests involving research and
livelihoods; and
-
give Traditional Owners in the region an opportunity to share their
knowledge and identify future directions relating to National Water
Reform issues in northern Australia, in particular Cape
York
The Forum was hosted jointly by the Apudthama Land Trust, Balkanu
Cape York Development Corporation and NAILSMA, and supported by the
North Peninsula Agency Regional Council.
View the Forum presentations here.
Photo: Joe Ross (Chair IWPG) (centre) with Tom Jackbaira (left) and
Robertr Sagigi (right) from Badu Island, Torres
Straight.
Karajarri Water Strategy Workshop (WA)
Karajarri Traditional Owners
met in May for a three day Water Strategy Workshop to talk about
the importance of water on their traditional lands, and the their
desire to have their interests represented in water plans,
particularly the La Grange Water Plan, where their land makes up
over 50% of the plan area.
Staff from the WA Dept of Water were invited guests, as were
neighbouring pastoralists, business owners and community members on
the last day of the meeting.
Read the full article here.
Research projects through NAWFA and TRaCK Synthesis
NAILMSA is coordinating research projects through
Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment
(NAWFA) and
Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK) Synthesis and
Adoption Year projects that aim to develop
sustainable Indigenous livelihoods across north Australia based on
cultural and natural resource management.
The NAILMSA coordinated NAWFA projects
are:
1.
Sustainable Indigenous Livelihood - Background Paper
2.
Indigenous Livelihood Implementation Strategy and Research &
Development Agenda
3.
Whole of Government Approach to Supporting Indigenous
Livelihoods
4.
Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in Management, Planning and Policy
Frameworks
The NAILSMA coordinated TRaCK Synthesis projects
are:
1.
Indigenous Livelihoods Future Research Agenda
2.
Field Guide for Indigenous community water facilitators and
managers (see article below).
Click on the links for more information.
Tristan Simpson
- Project Coordinator, Indigenous Livelihoods
Water Facilitator Field Guide near completion
John MacKenzie is putting the finishing touches on the draft Field
Guide for Indigenous community water facilitators and managers.
Over the coming months the Field Guide will be distributed for
review by key groups and validated in the field ahead of its final
publication.
The Field Guide is designed to improve Indigenous participation in
water planning and raise the standards of community
engagement. Its content will describe:
-
water management in Australia,
-
what water planning is,
-
Indigenous involvement in water planning,
-
how Indigenous people can be better engaged in water
planning.
The Field Guide will be a very useful tool for Indigenous community
water facilitators and managers.
John (pictured) also presented a seminar at CDU this month
entitled: Facilitating
Indigenous Water Rights in Northern Australia which gave
a history of water planning and the inclusion of Indigenous
interests in water plans.
Read the abstract and view the
presenation.
First People's Water Engagement Council (FPWEC) visits
Katherine
The FPWEC spent its fifth meeting in Darwin and visitesd Indigenous
communities in Katherine. NAILSMA joined FPWEC in discussions about
the Northern Territory government’s approach for Indigenous
engagement in water planning processes and the NAILSMA Water
Program research toward economic opportunity through the water
allocation ‘Strategic
Indigenous Reserve’.
A key relevant decision by the Council was the agreement
‘that
the progress of engagement with Indigenous people in water planning
and management in northern Australia, exemplified by the
establishment of a Strategic Indigenous Reserve in the Tindall
(Katherine) water allocation plan, will be highlighted at the First
Peoples' National Water Summit which the Council will convene in
early 2012’
The FPWEC is proposing to hold its National Water Summit early
2012.
Find out more about the FPWEC and catch up on its meetings
here.
First People's Water Engagement Council (FPWEC)
The FPWEC is a national Indigenous representative body supported by
the National Water Commission to discuss national water reform. At
its fourth meeting the FPWEC submitted these recommendations to the
NWC 3rd Biennial Assessment:
1.
to increase the capacity of Aboriginal people to participate in
water planning and management
2.
to raise the capacity of Aboriginal people to use the water
effectively if allocations are made to Aboriginal people
3.
to ensure that Aboriginal people have access to water through
Aboriginal water allocations
4.
to establish an Aboriginal Water Fund or Trust as a mechanism for
funding, coordinating and facilitating the allocation of water to
Aboriginal people
5.
that allocations for environmental flows should take Aboriginal
cultural values and that more research towards determining cultural
requirements be undertaken.
More information about the meeting can be found
here.
Kimberley Ranger Forum - June 2011
In June 2011, I-Tracker Staff attended the KLC Kimberley Ranger
Forum at Middle Lagoon on the Dampier Peninsula, WA. The event was
a great opportunity for Kimberley Ranger groups to come together
and share their working on country experiences and stories. Various
training activities were run during the forum, including an
I-Tracker training workshop. It was a great chance for groups to
expand their skills and share their experiences using
I-Tracker.
National Water Commission (NWC) News
The NWC has released an assessment of the water reform process (the
National Water Initiative) securing Australia's water future. The
report provides 12 key recommendations. Of particular interest is
the NWC call for:
-
All levels of government should strengthen community involvement in
water planning and management, recognising the value of local
knowledge and the importance of regional implementation, and review
institutional arrangements and capacity to enable effective
engagement at the local level;
-
Greater coordination of water management and natural resource
management initiatives would yield significant gains, for example
by better aligning the development, implementation and review of
water plans and catchment plans; and
-
States and territories review their existing mining and petroleum
regulatory arrangements to ensure that water resource impacts are
addressed explicitly, and that those extractive activities are
fully integrated into NWI-consistent planning and management
regimes.
Read more about the report and recommendations
here.
The NWC is closing its doors next year. It is expected that the NWC
will know its future and function later this year.
|
