Native Title Report 2006
Information Sheet 1 -
Survey of Indigenous land owners about land use and economic development
In 2006, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner conducted a national survey of Indigenous Australians living on Indigenous land. There were 54 survey respondents, which included traditional land owners, as well as other Indigenous Australians with interests in land and land-use. The survey questions asked Indigenous respondents to identify their aspirations for their land and to identify their capacity to earn an income from the land. The survey findings are as follows:
- The most important land priority for traditional owners is custodial responsibilities and capacity to either live on, or access the land.
- Economic development is welcomed by traditional owners, though many lack capacity to develop ideas into enterprise.
- A majority of traditional owners do not have a good understanding of the native title system and associated agreements.
- Entities with responsibility or potential to progress economic development are not funded to do so and have numerous statutory obligations that consume existing time and resources.
- The staff of native title representative bodies are likely to over-estimate the level of understanding of their Indigenous clients.
- Less than 50 percent of the native title representative body survey respondents claimed to be accessing funds specifically targeted to economic development.
- There is no consistent and reliable research that identifies the needs and aspirations of traditional owners by location.
- Forty-two percent of survey respondents argued that skilled personnel are needed to assist Indigenous land owners with economic development. Thirteen per cent of respondents identified a need for training and employment.
The survey can be found in Chapter 1 of the 2006 Native Title Report.
