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Social and Institutional Research Program Publications

Kantri is for Laif – Cultural Museum or National Asset

Country is Life

The project devised and documented ‘a strategy for the conservation and application of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) across northern Australia.’ The strategy is based on the findings that there had been limited consultation with interested Indigenous groups; undervaluing of IK contributions to land and sea management; a lack of coordinated effort to provide long term and appropriate investment in IK, a rapid loss of language (more)...

A Cultural and Conservation Economy for Northern Australia

This report presents the outcomes of a collaborative research project to test the applicability of the concept of a ‘conservation economy’ in Australia, and the relevance of the ‘Ecotrust model’ to foster the emergence of such an economy. The specific objectives of the study were To investigate and report on the relevance of the concept of Ecotrust Canada’s ‘conservation economy’ model for Indigenous and rural sustainable community (more)...

Achieving Coordinated Landscape-scale Outcomes with Auction Mechanisms

The broad aim of the project was to provide land managers with information that will encourage them to further value, protect and enhance vegetation diversity by demonstrating the practical benefits that can be derived from this natural asset in Australian rangelands.

Adaptive Agriculture: A Stocktake of Land & Water Australia’s Investments

Implications for social and institutional research and communication

This ‘stocktake’ is really about sustainable agriculture, of which adaptive agriculture is one important element. Agriculture cannot be sustainable if it does not adapt to the threats and opportunities constantly facing it. Adaptive agriculture may therefore be seen as the means of producing food and fibre in ways that remain dynamic, vibrant, flexible and constantly responding to the natural environment and the operating environment of the market.

Addressing Indigenous Cultural Values in Water Allocation Planning

Water allocation processes across tropical Australia are struggling with the question of how to acknowledge and protect Aboriginal values and interests in water-dependent ecosystems. Indigenous interests in environmental flows research and water resource policy have tended to be neglected, consequently Aboriginal people have rarely participated equitably in water management decision-making. This project was conceived as a pilot with the intention of engaging Aboriginal traditional owners and resource (more)...

An Agreement Approach that Recognises Customary Law in Water Management

The Anmatyerr water project worked from 2004-2008 as a collaborative team of Anmatyerr researchers, supervisors and participants and social and environmental scientists from universities and government. A number of projects were undertaken within this research initiative focussing on cultural water provisions in water allocation plans, equitable governance of water resources, culturally based livelihoods, training pathways, Indigenous water rights, and gender and water (more)...

An Agreement-based Approach to Customary Law Governance in Water Resource Management

Indigenous Law and cultural traditions remain strong and active in many parts of Australia. This project demonstrates a way for local Indigenous groups and other stakeholders to agree on the management of significant places and local issues with the aim of improving cultural and national heritage and Indigenous futures.

An Effective System of Defining Water Property Titles

Research Report

Appropriate water-titling regimes promise to underpin the long-term productivity of irrigated agriculture and sustainable management of Australia