Governance and service delivery for remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Much has been written about the issues of Aboriginal Australian self-determination, self-governance and sovereignty. This report attempts to identify a way forward on some of the challenging self-governance and service delivery issues facing governments and Aboriginal peoples, by identifying strategic opportunities for change and the development of more collaborative relationships. It has been commissioned by the Central Australian regional office of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). However the report has not been restricted, in its commissioning, to either an ATSIC or a Central Australian perspective. The issues here are of relevance to all stakeholders dealing with the related issues of governance and service delivery for remote Aboriginal communities across the Northern Territory. Underlying the report is the basic premise that self-governance, local government and service delivery are inextricably intertwined both conceptually, and in practice. Show more