Welcome back to all those readers of the only Indigenous
news for north Australian Indigenous land and sea managers. A lot
has happened since the last edition of Kantri Laif
– changes in the national Government, NT Government
leadership and NLC leadership were major changes. However, NAILSMA
is also changing. We have been working on a new refined structure,
but more on that later. I’d also like to take the chance to
welcome new staff members at NAILSMA – David Wise, Lyndall
McLean, Janely Seah, Jessica Lewfatt and Hugh Wallace-Smith. I
anticipate announcing the Operations Manager in the near future. I
welcome you all to the exciting work that NAILSMA and its member
agencies are involved in.
Although it is becoming accepted that northern Australia is
a region that is home to long-standing Indigenous culture and
heritage as well as a global centre of marine and terrestrial
biodiversity. It still attracts unreasonable and emotionally driven
attention on many matters including the complex issue of harvesting
native animals for customary purposes. However, my view is that
NAILSMA will continue to take a pragmatic approach to these
important issues by working with Indigenous communities and
agencies to ensure that the people most equipped to manage these
and many other resources in the north, continue to do so. However,
these services provided by Indigenous people have to be paid for as
legitimate jobs and a contribution towards maintaining the
environment and the communities that do so.
The establishment of the Indigenous Water Policy Group has
become a significant and important asset to Indigenous people
across the north by developing a position on how Indigenous people
should share in any benefits that may arise from water trading.
Chair of the IWPG, Mr Joe Ross has been doing a lot of work for the
IWPG, and as a member of the former Northern Taskforce, has
continued to maintain a strong connection into relevant policy
areas of the Australian Government. The commencement of the
Indigenous Community Water Facilitator Network (ICWFN) will be a
major contributor to ensuring that Indigenous people in key
catchments in northern Australia are fully informed and part of the
planning and implementation process of water reform in the north.
We anticipate placing 6 facilitators across the north whilst the
coordinator, Hugh Wallace-Smith will be based out of
Darwin.
During April, NAILSMA co-hosted the International Expert Group Meeting On Indigenous Peoples
and Climate Change, our first foray
into collaborating with United Nations agencies. This meeting was
co-hosted with the United Nations University –
Institute of Advanced Studies and the Secretariat of the United
Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. This meeting made a
number of recommendations that were presented at the Permanent
Forum in New York, whereby Jean Fenton represented NAILSMA and gave
a case study on carbon abatement (see report in this edition).
Other related meetings being co-hosted by NAILSMA will be
“An International Indigenous Expert Exchange on
Issues and Opportunities arising from Emerging Trends in Mainstream
Water Management” to be held in northeast Arnhem Land
7/8th August 2008.
The abatement
of greenhouse gases by better managing savanna fires on Indigenous
owned lands has become a major focus of NAILSMA, in particular
ensuring that the appropriate policy options are being considered
in the development of the National Emissions Trading Scheme. We
have been working to develop a number of projects in the north
through our partner agencies that could become significant to
reduce greenhouse emissions, as well as develop culturally
appropriate and robust enterprises for Indigenous
communities.
NAILSMA has
also been at the forefront of advocating for increased resources
for Caring for Country and rangers. The Working on Country Program
has also been pushed hard by NAILSMA, but I believe that more
thinking has to go into the longevity of these programs and the
development of a new industry. It does represent a positive
start.
In closing, it
has been 5 years that NAILSMA has been in operation, there are a
number of significant developments that have occurred in the last 6
months. The north is getting increased resources to deal with a
number of significant challenges around Indigenous welfare reform,
Kimberley gas development and the development of northern water
being three important ones. I look forward to continue to work for
Indigenous people in the north on these and many other important
issues into the future.
