Objectives of the review
Aboriginal held pastoral leases account for 12% (61) of the pastoral leases in Western Australia. Aboriginal held pastoral leases are faced with a full range of challenges as well as opportunities.
The purpose of this Review is to:
- identify the issues that affect the performance of Aboriginal pastoral stations;
- develop strategies that will assist Aboriginal pastoralists in improving skills in the management of pastoral stations generally;
- develop strategies to encourage young Aboriginal people into the pastoral industry.
A number of initiatives aimed at enhancing the capacity of the Aboriginal pastoral industry already exist. For instance, accredited training courses in beef production can be undertaken in a number of locations, Indigenous management support services are available in the Kimberley, Pilbara and Southern Agricultural regions, and governance training is becoming more widely available. The current Review will have the opportunity of assessing the impact of these programs and to see what needs to be done to secure any necessary improvements at industry wide level.
It would appear that a number of Aboriginal held pastoral leases, particularly in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions, are being utilised in support of Aboriginal communities, and in some cases, the communities have populations and infrastructure comparable to small towns. Aboriginal community aspirations do not necessarily align easily with pastoral lessee obligations under Part 7 of the Land Administration Act 1997.
A separate but potentially related issue is the reduced number of Aboriginal people working in the pastoral industry. During previous generations, pastoralism was a significant - and in many areas the dominant - source of employment for Aboriginal people. The industry provided opportunities for Aboriginal people to work in a range of capacities. However, younger Aboriginal people in pastoral areas appear no longer to be attracted to working in the pastoral industry.
