Joint-Management of National Parks and Other Protected Areas

Project Background: Negotiations between native title holders and Commonwealth, State and Territory governments for joint or co- management agreements over national parks and other conservation or protected areas are a major component of native title agreement-making. This arena of governance is located in a complex of intersecting and overlapping frameworks at international, national and state/territory government levels.

The Commonwealth government’s Australian National Reserve System aims to increase areas protected by 25% to 125 million hectares by 2013, and the Native Title Act 1993 allows for agreements to be made involving joint or co-management,including over marine areas. The Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has an Indigenous Protected Area program where traditional owners of Indigenous-owned land or sea may enter into an agreement with the government to promote biodiversity and cultural resource conservation. A number of State and Territory governments have their own legislation and administrative arrangements which facilitate joint or co-management arrangements. Whilst joint-management schemes have proven to provide positive outcomes for Indigenous peoples, the environment and the nation, there remains political resistance to joint or co-management arrangements in some jurisdictions from both governments and the public.

Project Objectives: Joint-management research is an ongoing activity within the LWRC and the Native Title Research Unit (NTRU) at AIATSIS. This project will: provide national comparative analysis of joint/cooperative management outcomes from native title; and, develop best practice standards for co-operative or joint management arrangements of conservation areas. The research identifies current joint- or co- management arrangements in Commonwealth, State and Territory jurisdictions with a focus on arrangements arrived at through native title. It also takes steps towards growing a national community of joint- or co- management effective practice which might account for some of the gaps between policy and daily practice. Of critical importance are the terms of engagement, the terms of recognition and creating the conditions for the actualisation of native title rights and interests. Our joint-management research has revealed significant inequities across and within the arrangements. In addition to numerous reports, discussion papers and workshops, joint-management researchers are completing an online resource for the AIATSIS NTRU website, which describes joint management arrangements that have been achieved through native title.

Project Outcomes: for a comprehensive summary of workshops, resources and publications emerging from this project, please see: http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/ntru/jointmanagement.html

Project Team: Ms Toni Bauman and Ms Claire Stacey

Funding Partner:

 

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