Indigenous Partnerships in protected area management in Australia: Three case studies

AIATSIS completed three case studies in the joint management of conservation and Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) in partnership with the Australian Collaboration, the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and the Poola Foundation (Tom Kantor Fund), as part of the AIATSIS 'Success in Aboriginal Organisations' Project.

Within this project, Ms Toni Bauman completed a case study of Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park. Mr Dermot Smyth carried out two case studies on the Dhimurru Indigenous Protected Area and the Booderee National Park in the ACT.

The Success in Indigenous Community Organisations project, primarily funded by the Australian Collaboration, initially involved 13 case studies to assess initiatives in local Indigenous organisations that have helped to promote community wellbeing or to overcome disadvantage. The aim was to identify lessons that might be learned from these successes. Dr Julie Finlayson and Ms Jo Lunzer were the main authors. 

Funds were also provided by the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Poola Foundation (Tom Kantor Fund) for three additional case studies that looked at successful management of conservation reserves. Ms Toni Bauman and Dr Dermot Smyth studied Indigenous partnerships and joint management of the Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park, the Dhimurru Indigenous Protected Area and the Booderee National Park.

The project resulted in three major reports: Maps to success, Organising for success: policy report and this one (Indigenous partnerships in protected area management in Australia: three case studies). A policy briefing paper was also published as part of this project.