Much of the Indigenous estate in northern Australia is either thinly populated or unpopulated. There is emerging evidence that, in situations where Indigenous people live on their country, ecological and wider benefits are generated via favourable fire regimes, control over weed infestations, and potentially through feral animal harvesting. When people are on country, they generate economic benefit for themselves by harvesting wildlife for consumption and engage with the market sector by using natural resources in commercial enterprise like arts and crafts production.
This research project aimed to quantify the environmental needs and costs of environmental management in two contexts, the Mann-Liverpool riverine environment in central Arnhem Land, where the Djelk IPA is to be declared in August 2009, and the coastal area of the Dhimurru IPA.
The project was led by Jon Altman from the Australian National University.
