New Kid on the block : bridging the divide. 4 th National Natural Resource Management Knowledge Conference Adelaide

Transcription

1 New Kid on the block : bridging the divide 4 th National Natural Resource Management Knowledge Conference Adelaide Bob Frazer Cape York NRM Dr. Rod Griffith Charles Sturt University

2 Queensland Regional Natural Resource Management Bodies

3 Cape York NRM Region 137,000 km2 Vic 227,000 Tas 68,000 12,689 people 54.7% Indigenous 11 Shire Councils (10 Indigenous) Complex land tenure arrangements Mining, grazing, fishing horticulture, tourism

4 A history of failed policy Divisive outside-in social & economic policy Planning without doing Dysfunctional engagement & implementation Disempowerment of local people Fragmentation of effort Competition for resources Government and NGO led fly in fly out economy Lock-in traps

5 Hope for change. Steering Committee consultation 2009/10 Cape York NRM Ltd established June 2010 Board elections majority Indigenous Directors Incorporated October 2010 Limited liability company Not for profit objectives Australia s 56 th Regional NRM body No accredited NRM Plan

6 Organisational Structure The Cape York Community Company Members Board of Directors CEO Program Manager Business Manager Indigenous Engagement Coordinator Business Navigator.

7 A Bridging Organisation Mission To help people work together to care for the natural environment and to promote the sustainable use of Cape York s natural resources

8 Business Model Minimalist in terms of staffing and infrastructure Commitment to deliver maximum funding on ground Commitment to deliver through partnerships with organisations and people on Cape York Commitment to supporting & building their capacity to deliver

9 Transformative change is required 4 big areas identified for transformative change: Fire, ferals and weeds management Conservation policy particularly tenure issues Futures for sustainable grazing & agriculture Governance including Indigenous engagement

10 A big ask in the context of: Very limited discretionary funding Investment strategy more or less fixed for 2 years during transition Inherited projects and delivery providers Inherited culture of organisations individually chasing funds and clients Looming change of government in QLD

11 Transformation for resilient landscapes and communities Decision by Board to draw on: resilience thinking, collective (social) learning and adaptive governance RIRDC funded Transformation for Resilient Landscapes & Communities project

12 Transformative Governance Strategies Bottom-up culturally appropriate engagement Bridging and supporting existing and new networks Using project investment to change governance structure & function Multi-scale Planning by doing system orchestrated by CY NRM Building transformability in communities for resilience through healthy country planning by doing Multi-regional collaboration Torres Strait, Terrain & Northern Gulf

13 Resilience thinking & collective learning + transformability Coordinated polycentric planning system for Cape York Clan estate Property Country based planning Sector level planning conservation, tourism, grazing, mining Asset planning Spatial analysis Community plans & planning schemes Transformational change strategies Visioning

14 Transformability Framework Building capacity to scope system boundaries, contexts and identity Building capacity to actively support and mentor innovation Building capacity for a collective sharing of ideals Building capacity for adaptive/ transformative governance & management TOOLS AND HEURISTCS Building capacity to analyse system dynamics and resilience Building capacity to explore alternative futures, limits and change ASSESSMENTS AND OUTPUTS Building capacity for strategic prioritisation and resourcing of actions Building capacity to open up new ideas for adaptation and transformation

15 SOME CASE STUDIES Bridging the divides in Indigenous engagement with NRM Transformative action in the conservation sector Healthy country planning pilots

16 Bridging - Case Studies Indigenous Reference Group Pilot Transforming Wild Rivers Engagement Wik, Wik Waya and Kugu People Transforming the delivery of Caring for our Country projects in the Northern Holroyd Plains High Conservation Value Aquatic Ecosystems

17 Healthy country planning pilots Northern Peninsular Area Coen World heritage country planning Balkanu assisted planning New requests for country planning

18 Healthy country challenges Strong cultural, ecological, social and economic dimensions Old and young perceptions What is the new healthy country? Working on country living on country Country as an economic asset under collective ownership Who speaks for country?

19 Healthy Country Planning using the transformability framework Share ideals about healthy country and Cape York generally Whole system & multiple knowledges Work through what country is like today & why it is like it is Discuss what factors help or prevent ideals Deep reflection & collective learning Identify which country and who speaks for it Scope out key players and issues Mobilization of social & other capital Transformative leadership Map & enhance existing governance arrangements Bridging of networks at multiple scales Innovation networks Develop some pictures of plausible futures Decide if big or small change is needed Do it as an experiment when a window opens Set up monitoring and mentoring arrangements Develop projects & test for unintended consequences Work out & organise needed resources Dream up and share some new ideas for achieving healthy country