Poverty alleviation in indigenous Australia

Abstract

Strategies to develop in a sustainable manner have been in vogue since time immemorial. However, what has altered is that, up until recently, these attempts were more of a functional nature. The present paper is concerned with design issues related to development on Indigenous lands in remote regions of the Northern Territory, Australia. Purposefulness to achieve sustainable development has led to calls for effective use of natural resources, which requires a perceptible shift in thinking about use of wild life. In the case of Aboriginal Australia, it relates to the changing face of the Aboriginal economy. This involves adopting a more marketbased approach for use of Aboriginal services. It also requires a very people-centered approach, which must be inclusive of the values that are important to the individual communities. A framework based on "fee for service" activities is required, which would allow the flexibility to incorporate local context for poverty alleviation in a global environment, using natural and cultural resources.