Strengthening Aboriginal participation in primary and energy industries
Our department is committed to building strong relationships with Aboriginal 
Victorians. We recognise that Aboriginal communities are key stakeholders for the department.
Victoria’s Traditional owners have unique cultural and economic interests in primary industries. Native Title holders, traditional owners and Registered Aboriginal Parties are involved in the planning and approvals processes of industries regulated by DPI. Aboriginal people are landholders, fishers, game hunters, pet owners, primary industry business owners and employers and employees in primary industries businesses. Like all Victorians, Aboriginal people rely on access to essential energy services.
We have developed an Indigenous Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) for the purpose of strengthening Aboriginal participation in Victoria’s primary industries and departmental activities.
Our plan aims to ensure that we:
- recognise Aboriginal cultural and customary interests including customary fishing, traditional owner and native title rights in resource management, and cultural heritage
- deliver services to Aboriginal land-holders and primary industry businesses
- recruit and retain Aboriginal staff and encourage other primary industry stakeholders to do likewise.
The IPAP 2011-12 builds on our achievements of 2010-11.
Indigenous Partnership Action Plan 2011–12
Strengthening Aboriginal participation in primary and energy industries
Action Area 1: Recognition
Recognise cultural and customary interests in natural resources management and facilitate meaningful participation by Aboriginal Victorians in the development of policies and programs for primary industries development
The following activities will contribute to this action area:
1. Contribute to the implementation of the Native Title Settlement Framework and native title settlements.
2. Improve understanding and acknowledgement of the interests of Aboriginal Victorians in primary industries by:
- meeting with Aboriginal communities to learn about their interests in primary industries
- communicating the department’s guideline on acknowledging traditional Owners and welcome to country
- providing opportunities for staff to participate in Reconciliation and NAIDOC week
- providing opportunities for staff to undertake Aboriginal cultural awareness training
- encouraging staff to use the Koori Business Network’s Aboriginal Business Directory for purchasing and procurement
- considering the interests of Aboriginal communities in new sector plans
- contributing to whole of government Aboriginal policy development.
3. Improve Aboriginal engagement and protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage sites during biosecurity emergency response activities.
Action Area 2: Business development
Improve access to our services by raising staff awareness of Aboriginal interests in primary industries and communicating our department’s role to Aboriginal communities
4. Finalise the Draft Aboriginal Fishing Strategy and commence implementation.
5. Review eel fishery management arrangements and identify pathways for Aboriginal participation in commercial eel fisheries.
6. Work with interested Aboriginal landholders to help achieve their desired economic returns from land through best practice agricultural production and land management.
Action Area 3: Employment
Improve Aboriginal access to employment and training opportunities within DPI and the primary industries sector
Activities this year include:
7. Finalise and commence implementation of our Aboriginal Employment Plan to attract, recruit and develop Aboriginal staff.
8. Implement a two-year Aboriginal work-skills development and employment program in Fisheries Victoria.
9. Finalise and communicate findings of the Aboriginal jobs in primary industries project.
10. Seek opportunities to establish networks between Aboriginal communities and the Victorian timber industry.
More information
For further information email aboriginal.engagement@dpi.vic.gov.au
Achievements of the 2010–11 Indigenous Partnership Action Plan
IPAP 2010-11 achievements
- Draft Aboriginal Fishing Strategy released following extensive consultation
- A literature review of Aboriginal fishing practices in Victoria and production of two maps providing a visual representation of traditional Aboriginal fishing activity in Victoria
- Fisheries Victoria was chosen as a finalist in the Wurreker Awards 2010, which recognises work that creates positive Aboriginal outcomes
- Preparation of a scoping study on Aboriginal engagement for biosecurity incidents
- Contributed to the development of a National Plan for increasing Aboriginal participation in NRM and Primary Industries
- DPI’s Secretary and the Deputy Secretary Agriculture and Fisheries met with several Traditional Owner groups on their traditional country to discuss matters of mutual interest and identify possible future partnerships
- Eight DPI sites organised a range of activities to celebrate NAIDOC week and the department contributed to a joint-agency NAIDOC week scholarship for Aboriginal students at Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE
- The department collaborated with other government departments on the Traditional Owner Settlement Act
- Commenced the development of a n Aboriginal Employment Framework for DPI and Fisheries Victoria led the development of a model for a two-year pilot Aboriginal traineeship program for Fisheries Victoria
