Business as usual? Local conflicts and global challenges in Northern Australia

Abstract

While the economics and policies affecting regional areas in Australia have changed markedly over the past few years, there has been very little change in the everyday realities of life in northern Australia. As one of the contributors to this volume notes, northern Australians remain united in 'a shared poverty'. That is, people permanently residing in northern regions - whether pastoralists or Traditional Owners - enjoy only a very small share of the wealth that is generated here. Meanwhile, disempowerment is apparent everywhere in policy development and policy outcomes. How then do we, who reside in the northern Australia, take control of these processes, achieve improved policy outcomes and increase the wealth and social cohesiveness of our region?