Joint Management
Joint management involves a partnership in which the Northern Territory Government, represented by the Parks and Wildlife Service works together with Aboriginal Traditional Owners to manage parks.
Responsibility and decision-making is shared in so that:
- the natural and cultural heritage of parks is conserved
- visitor enjoyment and other public benefits are provided
- Traditional Owners’ benefit and their interests are taken into account.
Joint management is not new to the Territory. National Park has been jointly managed since 1981, and Nitmiluk National Park since 1989.
In 2003, the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act was passed so that outstanding land and native title claims affecting twenty-seven parks and reserves could be settled. The total number of jointly managed parks and reserves in the Northern Territory in the foreseeable future will be 34. This is about one third of the parks managed or jointly managed by the Northern Territory Government.
In 2005 the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act was amended, setting out the principles and objectives for joint management for the 27 ‘framework’ parks.
The benefits expected to come out of joint management include:
- Improved land management, using indigenous traditional knowledge together with scientific approaches.
- Richer visitor experiences from increased opportunities for interpretation of indigenous culture.
- Social development and economic opportunities for Traditional Owners, their families and communities.
- Recognition of Traditional Owners rights and interests and respect for Aboriginal people’s aspirations and desire to express traditional connections to country
Joint Management Stories
These articles provide more information about some of the activities taking place across the Northern Territory in joint managed parks.
- Traditional Owners help turn the tide on Buffel Grass
- Women’s Cross Cultural “Looking after Country” in the Davenport Ranges
- Putting Joint Management Into Practice At Flora River Nature Park
- Bachelor Collage Graduation Day Alice Springs 2010
- Aboriginal Benefits Account provides Joint Management Infrastructure for Gregory National Park.