ATNS - Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements project

Back to search results

Print this page
Indigenous Pastoral Program
Category:	Policy/Strategy
Date:	February 2003
Date To:	2006 (replaced)
Sub Category:	Policy/Strategy
Place:
	Click this link to search this location with google maps
State/Country:	Northern Territory, Australia
	Click this link to search this location with google maps
Alternative Names:	IPP Indigenous Pastoral Project Northern Territory Indigenous Pastoral Program
Subject Matter:	\| Employment and Training \| Pastoral Activities
Summary Information:
The Indigenous Pastoral Project ('IPP') was established pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Indigenous Land Corporation, the Northern and Central Land Councils and the Northern Territory Government (2003). The IPP has since been expanded, following the Memorandum of Understanding between the Indigenous Land Corporation, the Central Land Council, the Northern Land Council, the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association, the Northern Territory Government and the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (2006). The IPP aims to increase the capacity of traditional owners to establish community-based pastoral enterprises. It is designed to enhance the pastoral industry on indigenous land and thereby provide "economic solutions to environmental and social problems" (Breaking New Ground 2005).
Detailed Information:
Objectives and outcomes The key objectives of the IPP "are to help Indigenous land owners implement sustainable pastoral enterprises and increase pastoral production from their land". Key projected outcomes of the IPP are to "increase cattle numbers on Indigenous land; and to expand Indigenous participation in the pastoral workforce" (Breaking New Ground 2005). Approach Six positions have been funded for implementation of the IPP: one at Katherine, one in Darwin and two in Alice Springs, within the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries and Mines; one at the NLC; and one at the CLC (NTCA 2006). Projects As at January 2007, there were 36 Aboriginal-owned properties associated with IPP projects. High-priority projects included: Amanbidji Kybrook Farm Gunbalunya Meat Supply Twin Hills Robinson River Elsey Balbarini/Carpentaria Downs Daguragu Hooker Creek Tanami Downs Loves Creek Station Mt Barkly Station Haasts Bluff McLaren Creek Mangarlawurru; and Munjirtinyi (Common Ground 2007, 14). Business Models Stated generally, the three business models of the IPP involve: traditional owners developing their own pastoral enterprises; traditional owners issuing grazing licences to third parties and benefiting from increased infrastructure and employment; and traditional owners issuing licences to third parties and using the funding for developing their own pastoral enterprise (Common Ground 2007, 14). Discussion In December 2005, the ILC's manager of pastoral development, Luke Bowen, indicated that the program was on target to stock an extra 35,000 cattle across Aboriginal lands, and suggested that funding for the program could be extended for a further five years. He said: "there is a strong commitment by the ILC. We have supported the program here in the order of $1.2 million in direct funding across the past three years. We also support on ground works to around the same value. ... There is a certain level of backlog, and this is very important long term work. In a lot of cases these projects are already self sustaining. People like to see their land in production, there is no doubt about that whatsoever and I have seen it for myself where indigenous people who have been sitting on land for quite a period of time, who have seen things happening next door are now able to speak quite proudly of the fact that they have got cattle on their land. They have got roads, they have got fences, they have got water points. They have got cattle leaving the property and going on ships and going overseas. They are becoming part of the industry and I think that is very, very significant" (Francis 2005). Alister Trier, the NT Government's pastoral development officer, said of the program: "I think that co-operation has been a real highlight, the working between the land councils has been a highlight and I don't think it's been seen before. The real co-operation and genuine cooperation between communities and the cattle industry is a positive and real change" (Francis 2005).