Building partnerships and sharing geoscience knowledge with First Nations Australians for managing Country

Output Type: Exploring for the Future Extended Abstract

Short Abstract: The last three decades have seen growing investment in land management by First Nations Australians across the continent, arising from increases in formally recognised rights and interests of First Nations Australian peoples in land and waters and the demonstrated environmental, economic and social benefits of their natural resource management. The Exploring for the Future program worked with three types of organisations—a Registered Native Title Body Corporate (RNTBC), a First Nations ranger program and a land council—to learn how geoscience knowledge and data can support First Nations Australians in managing Country. The Nguddaboolgan Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, the Lake Eyre Basin Rangers and the Anindilyakwa Land Council all shared their perspectives and priorities in managing Country. Soil geoscience, groundwater and Earth observation from satellites emerged as three themes under which geoscience data and knowledge could be shared in new ways for environmental, economic and community benefits. New partnerships with First Nations groups were established which developed clear pathways for geoscience data and information to address First Nations peoples’ priorities in caring for Country.

Citation: Orr, M.L., Burns, C.P., Halliday, L., Lafferty, J., Rees, S. & Chau, D., 2024. Building partnerships and sharing geoscience knowledge with First Nations Australians for managing Country In: Czarnota, K. (ed.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, https://doi.org/10.26186/149721