Authors / CoAuthors
Mouthaan, R. | Buchanan, S. | Sweeney, M.
Abstract
The Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program is unmatched for the scale of geoscience data acquisition across northern Australia, covering 37 648 individual land parcels and 2.9 million km2. The scale of works has raised many new challenges for Geoscience Australia (GA) through the diverse range of field activities, and the numerous stakeholders from different social and cultural backgrounds, across multiple jurisdictions. Success of the program depended on the development and maintenance of a social licence to operate. This was broadly achieved for fieldwork activities through early engagement with stakeholders, including free, prior and informed consent. Here, we present two case studies of stakeholder engagement for facilitation of data collection: one focuses on broadscale, low-impact field activities associated with the AusAEM survey; and the other on Indigenous-focused engagement related to the Barkly Seismic Survey. Because of the complexity of project planning and managing such a large number of stakeholders, GA’s project governance team was expanded; it now includes a dedicated Land and Marine Access team and a commitment to adopt world-leading engagement practices. One practice is to consider impacts and benefits for all stakeholders—not just landholders—of field activities and data acquisition programs. This includes a plan for how the data are delivered back to the communities and stakeholders, and how information exchanges can be built into projects. The aim is for stakeholders to hold GA in the highest regard and understand the benefits to the Australian people, and ultimately their own communities, from the geoscientific data that GA produces. <b>Citation:</b> Mouthaan, R., Buchanan, S. and Sweeney, M, 2020. Land access and Indigenous engagement for Australian geoscience. In: Czarnota, K., Roach, I., Abbott, S., Haynes, M., Kositcin, N., Ray, A. and Slatter, E. (eds.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 1–4.
Product Type
document
eCat Id
132981
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Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia
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Keywords
- theme.ANZRC Fields of Research.rdf
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- EARTH SCIENCES
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- social licence
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- land access
- ( Process )
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- indigenous engagement
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- stakeholder engagement
- ( Project )
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- Exploring for the Future
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- traditional custodians
- ( Project )
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- Barkly Seismic Survey
- ( Project )
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- AusAEM
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- stakeholder engagement plans
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- land holders
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- communities
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- governance
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- data value
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- field activities
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- Toolbox
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- EFTF
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- Published_External
Publication Date
2020-06-16T01:42:48
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completed
Purpose
Part of the EFTF Extended Abtsract Volume
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During the Exploring for the Future Program Geoscience Australia managed field activities on thousands of land parcels in Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. The logistics of obtaining land access were significant, and required active and ongoing stakeholder engagement, rigorous land access protocols and a clear delegation of organisational responsibilities to ensure success. This paper discusses how land access and stakeholder engagement including the engagement of Indigenous communities evolved during the program.
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[-32.7041, -10.5123, 112.2433, 154.4028]
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