Forum on native title and northern development

The evening will feature an expert panel as well as an opportunity for questions and discussion.

Director of the Cairns Institute, Professor Stewart Lockie, said was one of a series of forums held in response to the Commonwealth Government’s 2015 white paper on developing northern Australia.

“The white paper identifies simplification of land tenure as a priority, to support investment and promote economic development on both Indigenous and pastoral land,” Professor Lockie said. “While there’s no doubt that the complexity of existing tenures can act as a barrier to investment, any reform process must involve widespread community participation.”

The forums aim to build awareness and understanding, encourage dialogue, and share experiences of economic development on Indigenous land under various tenure arrangements.

“We hope to shed light on success stories, as well as highlighting situations where the complexity of land tenure arrangements is stifling Indigenous community economic aspirations, or hindering investment and development,” Professor Lockie said.

The expert panel members are:

• Professor Nicolas Peterson, Director of the Centre for Native Title Anthropology, ANU
• David Trigger, Professor of Anthropology, UQ
• Dr David Martin, Director of Anthropos Consulting
• Dr Julie Finlayson, Research Fellow at the Centre for Native Title Anthropology, ANU
• Mr Bruce Martin, Deputy Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Committee for the Federal Department of Environment.

The seminar will be held at the Cairns Institute at JCU in Smithfield from 6.00pm to 7.30pm on Thursday 16 June. It will be video linked to JCU in Townsville (in Building 9, room 1) as well as to Charles Darwin University’s Casuarina campus and to the Central Land Council in Alice Springs.

For further information: Jennifer McHugh, tel 07 4232 1718