‘Land rich, dirt poor’ – economic dilemma for indigenous communities
First Nations communities in Queensland and other states are not getting the right help to ensure their ownership of the land can be turned into economic opportunity, a parliamentary inquiry has found.
The joint parliamentary committee on Northern Australia found that indigenous communities were struggling to leverage their custodianship of the land to ensure they thrive economically and socially.
The committee says one solution to insufficient support from successive governments could be the establishment of a Future Fund or sovereign wealth fund to drive economic development amongst such communities.
“The financial and capacity building assistance provided by governments to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander bodies is insufficient and creates uncertainty,” committee chair and MP for the far north Queensland seat of Leichhardt, Warren Entsch, said.
“The committee supports increased financial support, as well as secure long-term funding that is not dependent on annual budget allocations.”
The committee’s report said native title and land rights claims across northern Australia had largely been settled and the region was now entering a “post-determination” era.
However, such land had limited fungibility, limiting it sue as an economic asset and leaving many traditional owners to think of themselves as “land rich, dirt poor”, it said.
Reforming land tenure arrangements would improve things but the bodies set up to encourage economic development in remote communities such as Indigenous Business Australia and the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation also needed better financial support.
“The financial and capacity building support provided by governments to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders bodies at all levels is insufficient,” the committee said.
“The financial needs of representative bodies were not properly anticipated at inception and the issue has been neglected by successive Commonwealth and state/territory governments.”
The committee urged more economic diversification in indigenous communities, saying that while mining and pastoralism were well-established, there was potential for traditional owners to leverage their native title rights to grow new businesses in areas such as environmental services and renewable energy.
“In addition, there is a bright long-term future for the development of income-producing cultural activities such as artworks and dance, often in conjunction with cultural tourism, as domestic and international interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture increases,” its report said.
