Sustainability Report 2005-2006
Department of the Environment and Water Resources, 2007
Social Performance
Indigenous Rights
HR12, HR13, HR14: Indigenous people
Goals 2005-06
Implementation of the Indigenous Career Development and Recruitment Strategy will occur by June 2006
Performance 2005-06 and trends
Indigenous recruitment
The Indigenous career development and recruitment strategy remains in draft and is yet to be implemented. In 2006 the executive approved the creation of a new position within the People Management Branch whose title is ‘Indigenous Development Coordinator’. On 10 July 2006 the position was filled by an Indigenous employee with specialised skills in bringing about increased employment and capability development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the Australian Public Service. The Coordinator’s role, inter alia, will be to progress the strategy to sign-off during 2006-07 and to then commence the implementation of various initiatives under the strategy.
The department also provides revenue lease payments to Traditional Owners from National Park gate takings. In 2005-06 the following payments were made:
- Booderee National Park paid $206 184 (25% of revenue)
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park paid $1 893 629 (25% of revenue)
- Kakadu National Park paid $1 111 213 (38.8% of revenue). This amount includes an agreement to pay Traditional Owners $1 million per year in place of a calculation based on park fee revenue, due to the ceasing of the collection of entry fees for Kakadu National Park on 31 December 2004.
Parks co-management with Indigenous communities includes systems and practices for dispute resolution, usually through face-to-face negotiation between the department and Traditional Owners.
Commentary
This is an exciting time for the department, and augments its long history of working with Indigenous people and recognising and respecting the knowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have in managing land and sea and in conserving biodiversity. The department sees Indigenous Australians as a key partner in managing the environment and cultural heritage and is committed to creating employment and capability development opportunities that will continue to foster this valued partnership.
Goals 2006-07
- Revise Indigenous career development and recruitment strategy and implement by end calendar 2007.
Contents
- Sustainability Report 05-06
- Executive summary
- Vision and strategy
- Our organisation
- Governance
- Policy and influence
- Environmental performance
- Social performance
- Economic performance
- Report assurance statement
- Case studies
- GRI index
Key
Links to another web site
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