In recent years there has been an increasing recognition of the limits of GDP as a measure of 'progress' and a growing emphasis on notions of wellbeing, satisfaction, or quality of life. A number of alternative measures of national progress have emerged both in Australia and overseas, with some of the better known including the 'Australian Unity Wellbeing Index', the 'Genuine Progress Indicator' and the 'Happy Planet Index'. In common with these measures, economist Amartya Sen has rejected the notion that development can be measured purely by changes in personal income or GDP.

This paper discusses the use of harvest studies to explore the nature of Indigenous community economies in remote Indigenous Australia. In particular, it looks at the potential for harvest studies to better inform development strategies for culturally appropriate and sustainable economies in these communities. Since the 1980s, alternative models of remote Indigenous economies have emerged in Australia and the North American Arctic. These models are generally made up of three sectors: the customary, the state, and the market.

Since late 2006 CAEPR has worked on a collaborative research project with the Bardi Jawi Rangers based on the northern tip of the Dampier Peninsula in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. This research was commissioned by the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILMSA) as part of its NHT-funded Dugong and Marine Turtle Project and was also supported by the Kimberley Land Council (KLC) as a major project partner.