Kimberley Appropriate Economics Interim Report - Australian ...

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From our culture, we have certain rights to country, and also certain responsibilities to look after country, both the physical and living environments. This includes spirituality, cultural identity, history, economy, and responsibility, and forms the basis for society and life. Keeping country healthy includes keeping people healthy. The future must include recognition and involvement of Kimberley Aboriginal people in managing and setting directions for country. We must maintain, rehabilitate, and protect country, and avoid environmental problems before they occur. We recognize that in modern times we have to make a new sort of living from our country, but can be no sustainable living from country that is unwell. We need to have faith in our abilities to build the future of our choosing. We need the courage to back our initiative, our selfreliance, our self-expression, so that we can build responsible enterprises that are economically and environmentally viable, that respect our culture. Wayne Bergmann, Nyikina man and Executive Director, Kimberley Land Council Taken from his Roundtable keynote speech The aspirations of our people This is a very special and unusual gathering. The people here come from a great diversity of backgrounds and experience. No govern– ment department could assemble such a group. To bring all these people together requires us to think broadly and inclusively. It also requires a depth and breadth of local and regional knowledge, which is worth more than gold. We are meeting for two simple reasons: a shared love of country and a desire to see the Kimberley prosper. The Kimberley is special because much of it is unspoiled. We are in the happy position of being able to avoid the worst mistakes made elsewhere. The Fitzroy River means abundance: abundance of water during the wet season, abundance of fish and food, abundance of birds and other wildlife. To its indigenous people it means even more. The Fitzroy is a system of natural prosperity, and any serious interference with its flow could only reduce its abundance. Companies wanting to establish a big business in the Kimberley usually either consult Indigenous people - not always with the results they had anticipated, -or claim that their enterprise will benefit Aboriginal people by providing employment. Aboriginal people may be forgiven for responding less than ecstatically. If you are a traditional owner of a part of this country, a place you have known intimately and lived in all your life, as your ancestors have done before you, how are you going to feel about giving up your rights to that place, seeing it laid waste, and then being offered a job on it with the 4
industry that has destroyed it? Money alone does not solve social problems. It does not solve poverty. Big business, charity, or welfare do not solve poverty. What solves poverty is personal enterprise and initiative, pride and independence, belief in the future, and a society that fosters these things. Environs Kimberley has helped to drive this forum because we have faith in the future. We see the Kimberley as a region where nature and culture are valued, protected, and given priority in decisions about development; and where small-scale, environmentally friendly industries and enterprises are encouraged. As a group advocating change we accept the challenge to actively promote better ways of doing business. So, what sort of enterprises are we looking for in the Kimberley? Some of the participants in this conference are already engaged in environmentally friendly enterprises, and with a commitment motivated by far more than just the income. But take heed: all such enterprises require traditional lands and the species that live on them to remain intact. Aboriginal people have recently been active in fire control, and there is opportunity for other environmental projects on country like rehabilitation or control of feral animals and the like. It is time for such important activities to be properly valued and underwritten by our society. We are asking government to listen carefully to the messages coming out of this forum. We are asking it to share our vision, to support those initiatives that enhance the nature and culture of our region, the way of life here, and the aspirations of its people. Pat Lowe, Founding Member and Secretary, Environs Kimberley Taken from her Roundtable purpose speech Making a good living from our country Traditional Owners of the Kimberley have a great interest in what happens on our country. We face significant pressures to allow development, sometimes at any cost. Some people even want to take Kimberley water for Perth people to keep their lawns green! 5
Page 1 and 2: Kimberley Appropriate Economies Rou
Page 3: Kimberley Appropriate Economies Rou
Page 6 and 7: Why would you? The first three word
Page 10 and 11: We have won some battles, at least
Page 12 and 13: INTRODUCTION The Kimberley Appropri
Page 14 and 15: appropriate development in the regi
Page 16 and 17: SUMMARY OF WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ROU
Page 18 and 19: Pastoralism Workshop Danielle Eyre,
Page 20 and 21: actions to come out of the Roundtab
Page 22 and 23: OUTCOMES There were two main Outcom
Page 24 and 25: in the Kimberley with rules based o
Page 26 and 27: Research Action 2 Action 3 the regi
Page 28 and 29: Action 9 Tour operators from the Fi
Page 30 and 31: 26 Projects or enterprises that ach
Page 33 and 34: APPENDIX A PAPERS PRESENTED AT THE
Page 35 and 36: And sometimes people like myself an
Page 37 and 38: forgetting that intrinsic value tha
Page 39 and 40: Keynote Address Wayne Bergmann, Exe
Page 41 and 42: Is there a role for Aboriginal know
Page 43 and 44: Ian Lowe President, Australian Cons
Page 45 and 46: Address by Tom Birch Chairman, Kimb
Page 47 and 48: Address by Pat Lowe, Founding Membe
Page 49 and 50: In recent years, Aboriginal people
Page 51 and 52: from the freshwaters of the river.
Page 53 and 54: ecorded. Dolores Cheinmora and Agne
Page 55 and 56: development of the area. Failures i
Page 57 and 58: 3b. Vegetation change The loss of s
Page 59 and 60:
The Future The entire river system,
Page 61 and 62:
Woirnarski, J.C.Z. (1992).Introduct
Page 63:
4. Recent photo of the same locatio
Page 73:
APPENDIX C KIMBERLEY APPROPRIATE EC
Page 78 and 79:
74 Don Henry ......................
Page 80 and 81:
76 APPENDIX F TABLE OF PRESENTERS
Page 82 and 83:
78 APPENDIX H ROUNDTABLE SPONSORS A
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KIMBERLEY APPROPRIATE ECONOMIES ROU
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