The research
This research
investigates Aboriginal employment at the Alice Springs Desert
Park and its connections to Aboriginal cultural and natural
resource management. It aims to:
- Understand how Park management processes support Aboriginal
employment
- Identify the roles, opinions and background of Aboriginal
staff
- Interpret how cultural and natural resource management (CNRM)
‘on country’ contributes to and/or gains from Park
employment.
The Alice
Springs Desert Park is a 1,000 ha park for local, national and
international visitors. It is a major tourist destination in
central Australia. It showcases desert habitats and wildlife
complemented by rich interpretation of Arrernte and scientific
information. The park also contributes to the conservation of
central Australia's desert flora and fauna. It has about 50 staff
of which 20 – 25% are Aboriginal people. They fulfil roles in
the Guides, Zoology and Botany sections.
Why this research?
- The Alice Springs Desert Park is viewed as a model of best
practice in Aboriginal employment within the NT government. Other
sectors are interested in whether they could transfer some of the
Desert Park’s approach to their own organisations
- The Desert Park is keen to identify which factors have made
their approach most successful so they can maintain high Aboriginal
employment
- The Desert Knowledge CRC, through the Livelihoods inLand
project, is interested in how Aboriginal cultural and natural
resource management experts see how they apply their Desert Park
employment experiences in managing their custodial lands.
Expected Outcomes
- Improved understanding of principles for successful Aboriginal
employment in cultural and natural resource management
- Strengthened roles of Aboriginal employees within the Desert
Park
- Better knowledge of the relationships between Aboriginal
people’s work on their own traditional country and employment
in the CNRM industry.
Participants
Present and past staff and management of the Alice Springs
Desert Park,
Northern Territory Department of Natural Resources, Environment
and the Arts
Research Links
