The National Indigenous Land and Sea Strategy (NILSS), is the ILSC’s key policy document. The directions laid out in the NILSS inform other key documents, including our annual Corporate Plan. The development of Regional Indigenous Land and Sea Strategies (RILSS) provide an additional, layered framework for the interpretation and implementation of the NILSS and how the ILSC sees its potential role “on the ground” in each region. 

These are the first national and regional land and sea strategies that include water-based activities, following from legislative changes to the ILSC and its role.

This RILSS reaffirms the ILSC’s commitment to being the trusted partner in developing this Indigenous Estate and introduces our impact driven vision of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enjoying opportunities and benefits that the return of country and its management brings.

The following regions will continue to underpin the RILSS:

• Northern Australia — includes northern Western Australia, the northern areas of the Northern Territory and North Queensland.  The climate, environment and general economic-development opportunities in northern Australia differ significantly from the rest of Australia. For example, savanna burning for emissions reduction is viable in this broad region and not in others. 
• Desert Australia — includes the desert regions of Western Australia, northern South Australia, south-west Queensland and north-west New South Wales.  As with the Northern Australia region, Australia’s desert regions are unique. There is value in considering the opportunities arising in these areas in their own right. 
• South-West Australia — Includes southern Australia, west from the South Australian border through to Perth and Geraldton in Western Australia. This region has diverse opportunities in agriculture, resource extraction and urban-based industries.
• South-East Australia – Includes southern Australia, east of Ceduna in South Australia and including all of Victoria and Tasmania, most of New South Wales and south-east Queensland including Brisbane. The mostly temperate regions of south-eastern Australia are more heavily populated and urbanised than the other regions, with more intensive and diverse agricultural operations and greater employment and training opportunities in professional and service industries.   

The strategy for each of these regions highlight the alignment between opportunities arising in these regions and the ILSC’s focus areas. These strategies are based on stakeholder consultation and, like the NILSS, will be revisited in 2023. 

Read the Regional Indigenous Land and Sea Strategies here: