Caring for Country: the rapidly developing formalised structure for land management on Aboriginal lands of the Top End

摘要

On Aboriginal lands in the Northern Territory's Top End' there is a rapidly developing formalised structure for land management. This is characterised by a strong community-based movement towards more active land management facilitated by the NorthernLand Council's Caring for Country Unit. In consultation with Aboriginal communities, the Caring for Country Unit works with a range of government and non-government organisations to build the capacity of Aboriginal people to deal with relatively new land management issues such as weeds, feral animals and changed fire regimes. In many communities, this movement has been driven by the need to respond to invasive weeds such as mimosa, (Mimosa pigra L.) that threaten to destroy important natural and cultural resources. The Caring for Country Unit facilitates an issues-based community approach that over time has broadened into a more comprehensive land management program. Currently there are over 20 Aboriginal community-based land management programs dotted across the Top End. These land management programs are beginning to network regularly with each other and work collaboratively with a wide range of other land management organisations. This expanding network is developing into a powerful formalised structure for land management on Aboriginal lands across the Top End.