Governance

Meeting at Kabulwarnamyo following extensive consultations, traditional owners discussed which governance structure would be best suited to deliver environmental services and create jobs for people on country. The decision was to establish a company - Warddeken Land Management Company Limited. Its key roles are:

• Assisting land owners with the management of land, natural and cultural resources;
• Protecting cultural sites and information and developing programs to strengthen and transmit culture;
• Employment and training of rangers and land and cultural resource managers;
• Assisting land owners to return to their country;
• Attracting funds for management programs and livelihood;
• Establishing a trust to receive and manage donations for management work;
• Brokering partnerships with scientists and organisations to develop management based on 'two-way' knowledge systems;
• Brokering partnerships to deliver funding, resource management training skills development and volunteer programs;
• Assisting landowners to develop economic development activities that support them being on their country;
• Representing and advocating for Aboriginal people to improve services, infrastructure and quality of life; and
• Ensuring that the access permit system managed by the Northern Land Council is working properly for their country.

Importantly Warddeken Land Management Limited will be run by land owners from the proposed IPA lands, but it is not a traditional owner group that represents and makes decisions for country. That right remains with land owning groups under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. It is also not an outstation resource centre organisation like the neighbouring Demed Association and the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation. It is uniquely established to be the primary support organisation for cultural and natural resource management within the proposed IPA.

Warddeken aim to establish a financial management system so that funds can be quarantined to pay for land management within the IPA. It will work with landowners to plan land management projects, budgets and assist in undertaking the work. Warddeken will not spend funds on vehicles or houses or other items for private use but will only undertake land management work for the benefit of all landowners on the plateau.