Aboriginal engagement in natural resources management

Working together with Aboriginal communities

The Natural Resources Commission respects Aboriginal peoples’ custodianship and obligations to Country. We also value the role of cultural knowledge in natural resource management.

We work with Aboriginal experts to guide our reviews. We listen to Aboriginal knowledge holders and communities to strengthen our evidence and advice.

If you would like to tell your story, share knowledge or provide advice, you can contact us by email or request to speak with us. We want to hear from you, and we will listen and learn.

How we engage

Our approach

We engage with Aboriginal peoples by:

• recognising cultural authority and obligations to Country
• seeking advice from Aboriginal experts in natural resource management
• working directly with communities to understand experiences, knowledge and priorities
• using this knowledge to inform our reviews and advice.

How to share your experience

You can:

• send us an email
• request a conversation with our team
• offer knowledge, advice or insight based on your community’s experience. 

See our contact details later on this page.

What supports our engagement

Aboriginal Engagement Strategy

We have developed an Aboriginal Engagement Strategy (2020) that sets out:

• the principles that guide our engagement
• the objectives we aim to achieve
• our commitment to improving respect and recognition of Aboriginal peoples’ values, knowledge and interests in natural resource management.

CareerTrackers Indigenous Internship Program

We support the CareerTrackers Indigenous Internship Program to:

• help university students build confidence and skills in the workplace
• increase exposure to government work
• support learning about natural resource management issues.

Cultural awareness and capability

We invest in building cultural capability across the organisation by:

• undertaking cultural awareness training (Centre for Cultural Competence Australia)
• promoting opportunities for staff to engage in cultural activities
• encouraging staff to build meaningful relationships with Aboriginal peoples.

Supporting Aboriginal-led climate action

Purchase of Australian Carbon Credit Units

We purchase Australian Carbon Credit Units through the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation. These credits are generated from the Tiwi Islands Savanna Burning for Greenhouse Gas Abatement project in the Northern Territory.

This support helps:

• rangers and Traditional Owners manage Country
• strengthen Aboriginal businesses
• contribute to our goal of becoming carbon neutral.

Resources include:

• Community Credit Certificate 2021
• Tiwi Island interim co-benefits report

For further information visit Aboriginal Carbon Foundation