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Indigenous
Community Governance Project
Understanding, Building and Sustaining Effective Governance
in Rural, Remote and Urban Indigenous Communities
Regional shires in the NT: Governance challenges and the governance environment
Diane Smith
Members of the former WCARA Interim Council and NT Government community development officers at a Regional Authority workshop, Katherine, 2006. |
This case study is investigating the critical conditions and challenges involved in current moves towards regionalised governance in the NT. The research adopts a Territory-wide perspective, in order to monitor and analyse the broader strategic issues arising from the establishment of new governance structures known as Regional Shires (formerly Regional Authorities).
In particular, this research focusses on: the role and impact of the changing government policy environments (NT and Federal) within which regionalised governance is being negotiated and contested; the cultural, political, statutory, social and economic conditions which are influencing the process of regionalisation in the NT; the engagement (or lack of) of government policy with these conditions, and the consequent outcomes; and the challenges facing Indigenous communities and leaders as they consider governance options.
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The case study is currently involved with four regional structures in the NT, all of which are in the ‘Top End’ and cover areas of inalienable Aboriginal freehold. Three of these structures are already established—the Tiwi Islands Local Government, Thamarrurr Regional Council, and Nyirranggulung-Mardrulk-Ngadberre Regional Council. The fourth, the West Central Arnhem Regional Authority (WCARA), is now part of the newly formed West Arnhem Shire (WAS). Indigenous discussions about regionalised governance are also occurring in the Top End Rural and Miwatj regions, Groote Eylandt, Katherine West, the Barkly region, and in the Anmatjere, Alyawarra and Wangka Wilurarra regions in the Centre. Governance arrangements in these various regions and authorities cover a diverse range of systems of representation and property rights, and some include significant non-Indigenous populations.
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Bunug Galaminda (Warruwi), Kenny Ogden (Minjilang), and Margie Siebert (Kunbarllanjnja) of the former WCARA Interim Council describe the formation of the Authority to a meeting of Indigenous Territorians in Katherine, 2006.
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Case study research effectively began at the beginning of 2003 and is ongoing. Considerable work has already been undertaken on regionalised governance processes on the ground in the Territory, in particular with the West Arnhem Shire (and formerly the WCARA Interim Council).
Papers by Diane Smith arising from this research include:
2005a. 'Regionalism for Indigenous governance: Emerging models and policy challenges',
ICGP Occasional Paper No. 2.
[51 Kb PDF document; see also the PowerPoint presentation,
1.2 MB PDF document]
 Click here to download document.
2005b. 'Capacity development for Indigenous governance: Emerging issues and lessons
from the Indigenous Community Governance Project (ICGP)', ICGP Occasional
Paper No. 10.
[141 Kb PDF document]
Click here to download document.
NEW 2007a. 'From COAG to coercion: A story of governance failure, success and opportunity in Australian Indigenous Affairs', Paper presented to the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) conference,Governing Through Collaboration: Managing Better Through Others, 28–29 June, Canberra.
Click here to download document.
NEW 2007b. 'Networked governance: Issues of process, policy and power in a West Arnhem Land regional initiative', Ngiya Talk the Law, Governance in Indigenous Communities, 1 (June): 24–52.
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