Members of the FWPA Board and key members of the leadership team recently visited a number of locations in the Northern Territory, including the Tiwi Islands. Their aim was to spend time on the ground with local industry representatives, specifically Indigenous Australians, and learn directly from them.
A key focus of the visit was to increase the organisation’s engagement with Indigenous Australians. This included an in-depth workshop with Cissy Gore-Birch, a Jaru/Kija woman with connections to Balanggarra, Nyikina and Bunuba country.
Birch is the owner of Kimberley Cultural Connections, which has a mission to create connections to bring about change. The workshop focused on the challenges and opportunities facing longer-term business development, decision-making, and the importance of cultural competency for workplaces and the broader industry.
The team also had the opportunity to meet with representatives from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade (DITT) for discussions around past and current forestry initiatives. Key areas covered were developments in biosecurity, insights from the ongoing Developing East Arnhem project (DEAL), and further partnerships with other Rural Research and Development Corporations (RDCs) in this space.
An information and experience sharing session was held with the Northern Territory Ord Valley Forestry Hub (NTOVFH) – one of 11 Commonwealth-funded regional forestry hubs across Australia aiming to support industry growth within the Northern Territory and Ord Valley regions. The session helped attendees gain a deeper understanding of workplans and linkages between Northern Territory forestry initiatives and FWPA programs Australia-wide.
FWPA Board Chair Craig Taylor said he and the team thanked all involved for the opportunity to listen to and learn from such incredibly dedicated local representatives of the forestry industry.
“We were thrilled to showcase the existing estates along with the growing opportunities the forest industry presents,” Taylor said.
Frank Miller, Chair of NTOVFH and the Forest Industry Association Northern Territory (FIANT) said the industry was grateful to the FWPA Board for undertaking this initiative.
“We look forward to working closely to add value and realise opportunities for existing plantation estates and traditional owners throughout the Northern Territory,” Miller said.
FWPA CEO Andrew Leighton said the visit helped the company’s attendees gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and successes in northern Australian forestry.
“This helps inform future research opportunities to support both the local and broader industry,” Leighton said.
