Dear friends ...
CRC-REP in the spotlight
The last few weeks have been relentless as we prepared for our
second round interview in Canberra for the proposed CRC for Remote
Economic Participation, which took place on the afternoon of Monday
November 30. The interview team (pictured below) met on the Monday
morning to rehearse one last time. I am pleased to report that all
went as well as we could wish – and we now await the
judgement of the CRC Selection Panel. We are deeply grateful to
those who joined the interview team and devoted a lot of time to
preparation and travel.
In the lead-up we took part in three rehearsal meetings in
Adelaide and Canberra, facing a real grilling from our friends and
partners, who certainly did not spare us. Many thanks indeed to
these people who helped with this important preparation phase: Drew
Dawson, Oliver Mayo, Phil Armitage, Peter Gordon, Steve Fisher,
Julian Cribb, Wendy Matthews and Louise Kermaris.
CRC-REP Interview team (L to R): Paul Wand, Tom Calma, Jan
Ferguson, Murray McGregor, John Oster, Glenise Coulthard, Harold
Furber, Mike Burgess, Craig James, Peter Twigg.
Targets for ‘Closing the Gap’
The Australian Government has launched a new clearinghouse for
evidence-based research on overcoming disadvantage for Aboriginal
Australians.
The clearinghouse provides access to a collection of quality
information on what works to overcome Aboriginal disadvantage. It
provides policy makers, program managers and researchers with an
evidence base for achieving the Closing the Gap targets and related
reforms. The goal is that Aboriginal Australians will benefit
through the delivery of policies and services that address issues
of disadvantage more effectively. It follows a decision by the
Council of Australian Governments (COAG) on six targets in the
areas of health, education, childhood, safe communities, economic
participation and leadership for Closing the Gap on Indigenous
Disadvantage. See www.aihw.gov.au/closingthegap
’Citing news
As part of the preparations for the CRC-REP interview we
analysed DKCRC’s publications track record to date –
and it is truly impressive. We have produced:
- 59 research reports
- 61 working papers
- 287 conference papers (106 in conference proceedings)
- 102 journal papers, of which 38 are in ISI-ranked journals
We’ve also had a total of 196 citations from 30 ISI ranked
Journals with an average citation score of 6.53. There have been 73
citations from 18 DKCRC papers in The Rangelands Journal
– an average of four per paper, even though it only came out
last year. The journal’s own ranking has risen from 0.545 in
2008 to 1.231 in 2009, partly thanks to the DKCRC special
issue.
Our most cited paper was in Science with 61 citations. It was
Reynolds JF, Stafford Smith DM, Lambin EF, Turner BL, Mortimore M,
Batterbury SPJ, Downing TE, Dowlatabadi H, Fernandez RJ, Herrick
JE, Huber-Sannwald E, Jiang H, Leemans R, Lynam T, Maestre FT,
Ayarza M, Walker B. 2007. “Global desertification: Building a
science for dryland development”. Science. Vol 316.
Issue 5826. pp 847–851. Published May 11 2007.
Congratulations to all our researchers for turning out such
influential material.
Camel Plan out
 |
Photo credit:
Hans Boessem
|
The Natural Resources Management Ministerial Council agreed at its
meeting on November 5 to release the draft National Feral Camel
Management Plan for public consultation. The Council noted
‘The draft plan addresses the negative impacts of the
overabundance of camels in the Australian rangelands and provides a
platform for the ongoing long-term management of camels. It also
provides guidance for the development of partnerships and social
capacities among natural resource managers, industry and
communities, in particular the Aboriginal communities of the
rangelands.’ The draft action plan is now available on the
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts website
for public comment for two months:
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/ferals/camels/index.html
Dry Times
A new book on the importance and value of desert
knowledge, and aimed at a general audience, has just been released
by CSIRO Publishing. Dry Times: Blueprint for a Red Land is by Mark
Stafford Smith and Julian Cribb. The book is based on Mark’s
work for the DKCRC on the Science of Desert Living and the
arguments used to shape the initial DKCRC bid and emanates from his
time under a Land and Water Australia Fellowship in 2005. From
this, it both develops a consolidated view on how we might live in
and govern desert Australia better and shows how these lessons
might help Australia more generally prepare for climate change. It
states ‘With knowledge from our deserts, Australians can
reshape the human story. Dry Times ... shows that the desert offers
solutions to the challenges of living in an uncertain and
threatening age, teaching us new ways to live, manage scarce
resources and cope with climatic extremes, isolation and lack of
water and energy. These lessons apply not only in remote regions,
but also to cities and entire nations as humanity faces growing
scarcity of vital resources.’ The book will be launched in
Alice Springs on 14 December and will be in book shops before
Christmas. For more details or to order a copy:
http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/23/pid/6070.htm
Raisin’ awareness
A unique report written
in the Alyawarr language and English marks a new milestone in
our endeavours to help perpetuate the deep knowledge and
cultural heritage of desert Aboriginal people. Angka
Akatyerr-akert: A Desert raisin report offers Australians
from other backgrounds a chance to share the insights, wisdom
and cultural traditions of our desert people. Compiled with
the help of nine members of the Alyawarr people from
Ampilatwatja, a translator and researchers from DKCRC, it
takes the reader on a vivid journey into the past, present and
future of the deserts, through a gathering expedition for one
of their most reliable of food sources. ‘Our report
underlines the relevance of Aboriginal knowledge and practice
associated with Aboriginal plants and lands to national food
security, and also the need to find new crops that suit a
drying climate and growing deserts,’ says project leader
Dr Fiona Walsh of DKCRC and CSIRO. The report is at: http://www.desertknowledgecrc.com.au/researchimpact/enduserpublications.html
South African visit
Mark Ashley was hosted by the University of the Free State (UFS)
from 23 to 27 November at the first meeting of the ‘New
frontiers in poverty reduction and sustainable development
(NFPRSD)’ Research Cluster in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
NFPRSD is one of six research clusters at UFS, and is emerging as
the major university, community and government collaboration
tackling the complex issues of poverty reduction and sustainable
development in southern Africa. Mark presented to numerous forums
and government departments during the week and provided advice on
the development and ongoing management of complex research
collaborations.
Delegates at the conference were particularly interested in the
Australian CRC research model and what aspects of it could be
applied to the development of cross-disciplinary research
collaborations in southern Africa. Members and researchers within
the NFPRSD were also very interested in the DKCRC research agenda.
They saw it as relevant to remote South African communities; of
particular interest were the DKCRC projects on SAND
telecommunications, bush foods and tourism. The issues facing
remote communities in southern Africa are very similar to those
facing remote Australia, and dialogues will continue to promote how
the UFS and the DKCRC can continue to learn from each other.
Electoral flaws
The Local Government electoral system used in the Northern
Territory has a fundamental flaw and repeats a historic mistake,
says Dr Will Sanders of DKCRC and the Australian National
University, in a new research study. ‘By combining
preferential voting, multi-member electorates and repeated
50%-plus-one, majoritarian vote-counting, the system leads to large
voting groups repeatedly winning seats and small voting groups
repeatedly missing out.’ Dr Sanders has proposed three
alternatives for reform of the Local Government electoral system in
the NT. The report is available in hard copy (please contact the
DKCRC office for a copy) or on our web site at: http://www.desertknowledgecrc.com.au/publications/downloads/DKCRC-Report-59_Fuelling-large-group-dominance.pdf
Media stars
There was good news coverage of DKCRC in November, with stories
about our Aboriginal Knowledge and Intellectual Property Protocol,
the Outback Institutions Report, the camel management program, our
CRC-REP bid, the Akatyerr report (above), the Bush Products
project, our work in the Sustainable Desert Settlements project
about the economic contribution of Aboriginal people to the central
Australian economy, Will Sanders’ report about the local
government election processes in the NT, and E-portfolios.
You can see what the media is saying about us at: http://www.desertknowledgecrc.com.au/view/113145/dkcrc_intranet/media-monitoring-19-october---22-november-2009.html
Seasons Greetings
My warmest wishes for a restful and enjoyable festive season go
to our friends and partners, and sincere thanks to everyone who has
great contributed amidst the hectic pace of activity that we have
seen this year.
My special thanks and appreciation go to DKCRC staff who have
worked extremely hard this year. Your care, enthusiasm and sense of
commitment to the Australian deserts and their people are what
really make this a great place to work.
The DKCRC office will be closed from 21 December to 15 January
(inclusive) allowing all of the staff to have a well-earned rest.
Contacts for urgent matters will be assigned to our various email
accounts.
Recent DKCRC publications and new web content
Presentations
Holcombe S. 2009. Translating
Indigenous rights into the action and language of research.
LESANZ Seminar, 17 November, Canberra.
Bubb A. 2009. WaterSmart:
Remote management innovations for sustainability in arid rangeland
pastoral production. Desert Knowledge Australia: Virtual
Meeting Place - Water Sustainability in Regional Australia. Meeting
52, 22 October.
Memmott P. 2009. Demand-responsive
services and culturally sustainable enterprise in remote Aboriginal
settings: A case study of the Myuma group. Indigenous
Participation in Australian Economies: Perspectives from
Anthropology, history and material culture studies, 9-10 November
2009, National Museum of Australia.
James C. 2009. Improving service
delivery and economic development through evidence. Evidence
based policy making 2009 - laying the foundations for innovative
and sustainable policy, 28-29 October, Canberra.
End-user publications
Desert Knowledge CRC. 2009. Apmeraltye
Ingkerreke: People of one land, All together. Record of
conference sessions from Regional Arts Australia art at the heart,
2nd October to 4th October, 2008, Alice Springs, DKCRC, Alice
Springs.
Films
DKCRC. 2009.
About the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre. DVD,
4'20''. Produced by DKCRC, DKCRC, Alice Springs.
Seemann K. 2009.
Desert Knowledge CRC Sustainable Desert Settlements: the story of
the Birdsville Painting. DVD, 8'49". Produced by DKCRC, Alice
Springs.
Dobson V and Lovell J. 2009. A
home for language. DVD, 6'07". Produced by DKCRC, Alice
Springs.
Dobson V and Walsh F. 2009. Arnpernirrentye:
Relationships between bush foods, creation laws, people, country
and all things, illustrated by three plants (short version).
DVD, 6'12". Produced by S Wiriya, DKCRC, Alice Springs.
Nixon D and Vincent A. 2009. DVD:
Information = Power: Value Chain Walkthrough to Empower Indigenous
Desert Business. 18'15". Produced by DKCRC, Alice Springs.
Nixon D and Vincent A. 2009. Extended
interview with Martha Shepherd, grower of bush foods.
Information = Power: Value Chain Walkthrough to Empower Indigenous
Desert Business, DVD Community guide as part of Report to NRM Board
(NT) by Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre, DVD, 6'41".
Produced by DKCRC, Alice Springs.
Nixon D and Vincent A. 2009.
Extended interview with Anthony Robinson, marketer of bush products
for Outback Spirit. Information = Power: Value Chain
Walkthrough to Empower Indigenous Desert Business, DVD Community
guide as part of Report to NRM Board (NT) by Desert Knowledge
Cooperative Research Centre, DVD, 7'21". Produced by DKCRC, Alice
Springs.
Nixon D and Vincent A. 2009. Extended
interview with Dale Chapman, restaurateur and owner of The Dilly
Bag Restaurant, Pomona, Qld. Information = Power: Value Chain
Walkthrough to Empower Indigenous Desert Business, DVD Community
guide as part of Report to NRM Board (NT) by Desert Knowledge
Cooperative Research Centre, DVD, 14'58". Produced by DKCRC, Alice
Springs.
With best wishes
Jan
