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by Jason Alexandra and Jane Stanley
August 2007
RIRDC Publication No 07/074 RIRDC Project No AHM-5A
Executive Summary
What the report is about
This project explored the
potential and scope for multi-enterprise agricultural systems developed
by Aboriginal communities on their land.
Who the report is targeted
at
This report offers recommendations
to the various agencies that provide support and funding for these types
of projects, as well as other stakeholders involved in or interested in
mixed enterprise agricultural systems and Aboriginal communities.
Project Objective
This project focused on
the development of land-based production systems that support integrated
community development.
Project Aims and Background
In Australia there are many
opportunities to further develop production systems which support Aboriginal
communities’ material, cultural and social needs and land management aspirations.
The project aimed to identify
and document:
• Opportunities and constraints
to integrated property planning and enterprise development;
• Future needs and directions
for research and development;
• Opportunities for improving
government and industry support arrangements;
• Prospects for improving
training, education and technical support; and
• Lessons from emerging
models of community based enterprise and land development.
Aboriginal rural enterprise
development is important because:
• Significant community
and industry development opportunities exist on Aboriginal land;
• Over 15% of the Australian
continent is owned and managed by Aboriginal communities;
• As more Aboriginal people
gain access to land, it is important that the resources devoted to supporting
them are used effectively;
• Production of food and
other material needs is integral to community development and economic
self determination; and
• There are significant
opportunities for more diverse and locally fulfilling production systems.
Project Methods
The project combined desk-top
reviews, interviews and workshops with the analysis and documentation of
two case studies. Project documentation was refined via the distribution
of drafts and the resultant feedback.
The project drew on the experience of two properties in SE Queensland (see chapters 4 and 5) as a primary source of information. To gain an appreciation of current approaches to rural enterprise development, Alexandra and Associates reviewed literature and information on the world-wide-web.
Selected informants were interviewed on a wide range of topics, including initiatives in Cape York and the Kimberley where land management and enterprise development are being initiated on much larger scales than the case study properties. This material was used to prepare a project overview and consultation paper. A revised version of this paper forms Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of this report.
Chapters 4 and 5 of this
report are based on the two detailed case studies documenting the experiences
of two communities that FOCUS Pty Ltd1
has been working with for several years:
Chapter 6 is a summary
of the issues highlighted by the case studies.
In mid 2002 a workshop was held in Brisbane to explore the issues and directions identified in the case studies and the overview paper. A summary of the workshop was circulated and feedback received – this forms the basis of Chapter 1 - Project Synthesis and Recommendations.
The Case Studies
Scrub Hill is a 23 hectare
property on the outskirts of Hervey Bay, Qld, owned by Korrawinga Aboriginal
Corporation. The land is stony, with poor soils. It surrounds a disused
quarry which is now leased by Korrawinga. It is a strategically positioned
hillside property on the approach road into town.
Scrub Hill today supports multiple rural enterprises including: cut flowers and ti-tree production; market gardening; a nursery; a poultry farm; bushfood cultivation; an art and craft centre; a trades workshop and farm tours. Chapter 5 details the progress of development at Scrub Hill.
Minjelha Dhagun is a property of around 400 hectares situated south-east of Brisbane adjacent to Mount Barney in the Border Ranges National Park. Minjelha Dhagun is spiritually significant for the Yugambeh people, who are now scattered throughout South-Eastern Queensland. Yugambeh Land Enterprises (YLE) was formed to pursue the interests of Yugambeh traditional owners in regaining access to their lands, including Minjelha Dhagun.
The Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) bought the property and transferred it to YLE ownership in 1998. The core goals of YLE are to secure land; extend cultural influence and ensure maintenance of cultural lands; promote unity, respect and understanding amongst Yugambeh people; maintain and share spiritual knowledge; assert ownership over Yugambeh lands and promote agreements with nonindigenous people; and to enhance and develop Yugambeh cultural skills.
YLE goals for Minjelha Dhagun are to create a sustainable economic and employment base, while retaining the social and cultural values of the property by putting Yugambeh people in touch with their country and culture. At the time of writing (2002) work on site was limited to land management and repair, including revegetation and fencing. The major infrastructure works needed for economic development had not yet commenced. Economic activity was limited to agistment of cattle, with the proceeds being used to pay property rates. However, since acquisition an extensive process of property and enterprise planning has taken place. The property plan identifies a number of different areas that could be used for a range of developmental purposes.
Enterprise investigated includes:
• Commercial tourism:
• Forestry and timber production
• Commercial vegetable cropping
• Ti-tree for oil
• Bushfoods and traditional
medicines
• Native and exotic horticulture
• Beef production.
• Cultural activities including
a cultural centre planned as part of the tourist development.
• Arts and crafts
None of these business opportunities have been realised at the date of the investigations, and there will need to be a sustained investment in capacity building and infrastructure development before YLE is able to operate on a business footing. Chapter 6 documents the development plans and aspirations of the community.
Issues Arising from the
Case Studies
The case studies demonstrate
that the development of production systems and enterprises cannot be divorced
from either personal development or wider community development. They also
demonstrate significant technical, landuse and organisational constraints
as well as the pressing need for concerted strategies for property and
business development. These strategies need to deliver:
• Sustained rather then stop-start
funding;
• Ongoing capacity building
including mentoring;
• Robust community and commercial
structures;
• Sound business and organisational
models; and
• Improvements in governance
and institutional strengthening.
Priorities for a national
strategic approach include:
1. Appropriate conceptual
and funding models for integrated developments, i.e. those that aim to
support multiple rural and cultural enterprises, land and community development
etc.
2. Support for integrated
property and enterprise planning that takes into account:
• cultural and social factors;
• land use and enterprise
planning;
• community aspirations;
• natural resources and
infrastructure;
• capacity building requirements;
and
• appropriate governance
arrangements.
• ongoing, competent technical
support.
3. A holistic approach to the measurement of progress and the impacts of external funding, including acknowledgement of the multiple benefits such as health, educational and training outcomes.
4. Effective coordination of agencies involved in education and training, health, sustainable landuse, community and enterprise development.
5. Recognition of the timeframes involved in planning and implementing integrated property development.
6. Development of legal and organisational frameworks capable of addressing the complexity of “private” enterprises operating on collective property (see Chapter 3).
Project Findings and Implications
The case studies revealed
exciting social and economic benefits from participating in innovative
development models. However, they also document significant shortcomings
in current systems for supporting enterprise and land development because
of a lack of appreciation of labour-intensive, mixed enterprise models
based on integrated approaches to cultural, social and environmental recovery.
Government programs tend to focus on one kind of issue – eg environment,
business development or training – rather than processes which support
integrated development. This is leading to a waste of resources, as the
timing (often stop-start) and nature (often single issue focused) of support
is often out of kilter with community needs, and because governance systems
and capacity building are given insufficient priority.
The project identified a range of priority needs for rural enterprise development and offers 14 recommendations (see Chapter 1 “Synthesis and Recommendations”) on the need to:
• review, revise and reinvigorate the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rural Industry Strategy.
None of these business opportunities have been realised at the date of the investigations, and there will need to be a sustained investment in capacity building and infrastructure development before YLE is able to operate on a business footing. Chapter 6 documents the development plans and aspirations of the community.
Issues Arising from the Case Studies
The case studies demonstrate that the development of production systems and enterprises cannot be divorced from either personal development or wider community development. They also demonstrate significant technical, landuse and organisational constraints as well as the pressing need for concerted strategies for property and business development. These strategies need to deliver:
• Sustained rather then stop-start
funding;
• Ongoing capacity building
including mentoring;
• Robust community and commercial
structures;
• Sound business and organisational
models; and
• Improvements in governance
and institutional strengthening.
Priorities for a national
strategic approach include:
1. Appropriate conceptual
and funding models for integrated developments, i.e. those that aim to
support multiple rural and cultural enterprises, land and community development
etc.
2. Support for integrated
property and enterprise planning that takes into account:
• cultural and social factors;
• land use and enterprise
planning;
• community aspirations;
• natural resources and
infrastructure;
• capacity building requirements;
and
• appropriate governance
arrangements.
• ongoing, competent technical
support.
3. A holistic approach to the measurement of progress and the impacts of external funding, including acknowledgement of the multiple benefits such as health, educational and training outcomes.
4. Effective coordination of agencies involved in education and training, health, sustainable landuse, community and enterprise development.
5. Recognition of the timeframes involved in planning and implementing integrated property development.
6. Development of legal and organisational frameworks capable of addressing the complexity of “private” enterprises operating on collective property (see Chapter 3).
Project Findings and Implications
The case studies revealed
exciting social and economic benefits from participating in innovative
development models. However, they also document significant shortcomings
in current systems for supporting enterprise and land development because
of a lack of appreciation of labour-intensive, mixed enterprise models
based on integrated approaches to cultural, social and environmental recovery.
Government programs tend to focus on one kind of issue – eg environment,
business development or training – rather than processes which support
integrated development. This is leading to a waste of resources, as the
timing (often stop-start) and nature (often single issue focused) of support
is often out of kilter with community needs, and because governance systems
and capacity building are given insufficient priority.
The project identified a range of priority needs for rural enterprise development and offers 14 recommendations (see Chapter 1 “Synthesis and Recommendations”) on the need to:
• review, revise and reinvigorate
the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rural Industry Strategy.
• develop more holistic
project and program performance assessment frameworks.
• develop and transfer successful
models of regional capacity building.
• improve understanding
of options for governance of community properties.
• understand implications
of community development models being applied in Australia.
• provide increased support
for home or community food production gardens, particularly in remote communities.
• develop improved arrangements
for cooperation amongst external agencies involved in delivering support
in areas like health, training and rural development;
• improve capacity to integrate
property planning, natural resources management and enterprise development
on specific sites and at Government program levels
• adopt strategic approaches
to supporting Aboriginal rural enterprise development.
Recommendations
The project identified the
following needs and suggests some appropriate responses:
1. That relevant Australian Government agencies investigate commissioning a comprehensive review, revision and reinvigoration of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rural Industry Strategy . A second phase of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rural Industry Strategy could build on the lessons of the first phase and related initiatives.
2. That a holistic assessment framework be implemented that tracks the impacts of projects/assistance on community wellbeing over a realistic time frame. Holistic assessment methods determine the true impacts of integrated development models in terms of economic and social outcomes and community health. These should refer to attempts to develop broader indices of welfare such as the Genuine Progress Indicator, and to Duncan Ironmonger’s work on the value of the household economy.
3. That the objectives of government support programs need to be defined in terms which take account of the integrated nature of community, enterprise and land development, and performance measures be defined to reflect this integrated approach
4. That further recognition needs to be given to development of Aboriginal community farms as training, education and capacity building nodes.
5. That programs of support are needed for long term resourcing of the training, education and capacity building nodes based on Aboriginal community farms.
6. That support programs are essential for staff working on integrated land and community development models incorporating gardening, farming and agriculture and social goals.
7. That all agencies adopt a coordinated coherent model for supporting enterprise and community development.
8. That governance options be carefully developed and tested with advice made available to Indigenous client groups so that they can establish community based governance structure and business models appropriate to their circumstances.
9. That a national review of the governance and business models used to date, and communities’ experience of using them, is needed to support advice on useful and appropriate models, and the pros and cons of various models and options.
10. That legal frameworks are developed that are capable of addressing the complexity of “individual or family and/or community” enterprises operating simultaneously on collective property, including appropriate ways of allocating “enterprise” rights.
11. That funding agencies consider redirecting a proportion of rural development funds into integrated models of landuse and community development on Aboriginal land.
12. That government consider reviewing underlying concepts of what constitutes effective rural development support.
13. That small scale, multi-crop and garden agricultural systems are recognised as legitimate and valuable components of future Rural Industry Strategies.
14. That government
support and encouragement is needed for community farms and garden agriculture
due to their capacity to make important contributions to genuine community
welfare.
1 Jane Stanley
is the principal of Focus Pty Ltd and is one of the two project researchers.
 
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