Celebrating 25 Years of Regional NRM
The 9th National Natural Resource Management Knowledge Conference, held September 8–12 in Cairns, marked a significant milestone, 25 years since Australia adopted the regional natural&...
The Developing Northern Australia Conference in Cairns provided an opportunity to show case some of the Tropical North Queensland Drought Hub's Sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Enterprise Program (SATSIE) work and network across northern Australia with partners. SATSIE Program Lead Dr Jim Turnour said that it was good to learn and connect with organisations and businesses also working to build First Nation climate resilience and food security.
The SATSIE program sponsored Joe Clarke Group General Manager of Centrefarm Aboriginal Horticulture Ltd and Christine Rhazi Director Community and Economic Development with Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council to attend. Centrefarm’s core role is to identify at scale commercially viable opportunities on Aboriginal land and develop them as the foundations of new regional economies. Napranum Aboriginal Corporation is looking to develop sustainable enterprises including reestablishing their farm and both took the opportunity to share their experiences, learn and network through the conference. Jim presented on the opportunities and challenges of activating Indigenous water rights in Cape York Peninsula.
A key theme from many of the Indigenous conference presentations was the importance of good cultural and corporate governance to establishing and running a business on the First Nation estate. First Nation people needed to be engaged early and provide free, prior and informed consent to the business activity.
Country based planning that sorted through often complex tenures and identified the right people to be consulted through established protocols assisted in these processes.
The Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC) presented on the development of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that addresses the difficulty in representing Indigenous priorities through GIS tools which were developed for western land management and planning. Complex land tenure and a lack of investment in country-based planning are key challenges in many parts of the TNQ Drought Hub region. These new technologies and approaches could assist in the FPIC process and support self-determined development outcomes.
The need for partnerships and investment were also strong themes to support First Nation business development. Aboriginal Investment NT for example discussed new longer-term investments in First Nation building to facilitate development over a 3 to 5 year time frame. Their presentation and others including one by Tiwi Forestry emphasising that future success depends on strong Indigenous governance and meaningful partnerships with government and industry.
Dr Turnour said that the conference provided a real opportunity to hear and learn from diverse First Nations and their partners and affirmed the approach the SATSIE Program is taking to support First Nation climate and drought resilience.
AUGUST 2025