Commissioned by the Natural Resource Management Board (NT). appropriate, in accordance with agreed protocols and with prior approval of the Indigenous custodians of the knowledge’. Under the IP clause: a. NT/Cth governments must not disclose project or existing material without the consent of custodians if it contains traditional knowledge or information known to be culturally sensitive to Indigenous organisations or people: b. IP ownership and sharing of benefits arising from commercialisation to be agreed on a case by case basis when entering financial agreements; and c. Each party is to be given worldwide permanent license over project material, and NT must get an assignment from a third party to give effect to this.
3.1 Caring for our Country The Commonwealth Government’s Caring for our country Program for Natural Resources Management commenced on 1 July 2008, taking over the National Heritage Trust. Funding for this project was approved for $2.25 billion for its first five years (2008‐2013). 164 The Caring for our Country 2009‐10 business plan promises significant funding for Indigenous engagement in NRM. Of the six national priorities listed for the Caring for our Country program, three relate directly to Indigenous groups and lands in the Northern Territory. They are; • • •
the National Reserve System natural resource management in northern and remote Australia, and community skills, knowledge and engagement. 165
In particular, Caring for our Country program aims to address these priorities in the following ways; • ‘increase the area of Indigenous‐owned land declared as Indigenous Protected • use traditional ecological knowledge in the development of management plans in… IPA projects • employ additional Indigenous rangers • involve at least 15 projects in the use or recording of Indigenous traditional knowledge from Indigenous communities over two years 166 • assist Indigenous Australians enter the carbon trading market’ In keeping with 2007 election promises, the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts has promised to spend $90 million on increasing the number of Indigenous 164
Commonwealth Government of Australia, Caring for our Country funding, http://www.nrm.gov.au/funding/index.html , viewed 4 February 2009. 165 Commonwealth Government of Australia, Caring for our Country Business Plan 2009‐10, http://www.nrm.gov.au/publications/books/pubs/business‐plan.pdf , viewed 4 February 2009. 166 Commonwealth Government of Australia, Caring for our Country Business Plan 2009‐10, http://www.nrm.gov.au/publications/books/pubs/business‐plan.pdf , viewed 4 February 2009.
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