Beyond the Frontier: Sustainable Futures for North Australia

Abstract

A word we heard from time to time during the symposium, perhaps not often enough, is integration. How do we integrate perspectives on the theme—Beyond the Frontier: Sustainable Futures for North Australia? My approach will combine my intellectual safety zones of economics and anthropology, with my new aspirational disciplinary approach, ecology, and with the perspectives of Indigenous people, Indigenous knowledge, and reflecting the views of people with whom I have collaborated for many years. I will try to bring these diverse perspectives to bear on the term ‘sustainable’ with its economic, ecological and social elements. The focus is more on the Northern Territory than north Australia, and I take on board criticisms of this geographic bias noted by presenters like Rosemary Hill (who in turn sought to focus more on Cape York and the Kimberley). Unfortunately this bias is historic caused by some straight politically-inspired lines drawn on the Australian landscape early last century and so is hard to overcome or ignore.