NILSS - ILSC

The NILSS 2023-28 is here!

Your voice. Your strategy.

The National Indigenous Land and Sea Strategy has been unveiled.

The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) officially unveiled the ground-breaking new national strategy that will help shape the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia.

The strategy reaffirms the ILSC’s key role as the lead national agency responsible for returning and managing Country and sets a clear agenda over the coming years in delivering on the agency’s vision.

How was the strategy developed?

The new NILSS is the culmination of the ILSC’s largest ever nation-wide consultation over many months, that was genuine, inspiring and particularly invaluable for centring the priorities and perspectives of Traditional Owners. Over 1000 hours was spent on ground, listening, and speaking to hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from dozens of communities across Australia, about their aspirations for Country and role of the ILSC. For those who participated in the engagement, thank you for your time and input.

What will the ILSC do under the new NILSS?

Act as a strategic funder and facilitator, supporting Indigenous people to access, use, and Care for Country on their own terms to achieve their aspirations
Support Indigenous people to leverage, and continue to grow their assets, rights to land and water gained over the past 60 years of the land rights movement and recognition through native title and other schemes
Extend beyond grant-making and enable Indigenous groups to take advantage of opportunities that optimise the use and Care of Country now and into the future
Improve services to Indigenous people and continue to return power and control to Indigenous communities by divesting our operating businesses and landholdings.

What’s next?

Following the launch of the NILSS, the ILSC is now turning its attention to developing Regional Indigenous Land and Sea Strategies (RILSS) by the end of 2023. This will continue the ILSC’s engagement and research to define on ground delivery across national regions. With a direct line of sight to the NILSS, each regional strategy will form a discrete roadmap for the agency’s three divisions to deliver on year by year.

Want to find out more?

Get in touch with us by emailing NILSS@ilsc.gov.au.

Read a summary of the NILSS here.

Read the NILSS here.

Read the NILSS 2022 Community Consultation Report here.

Tell me about the community consultation that took place.

In mid-2022, the ILSC held 40+ engagement sessions across the nation to seek community views on what should be included in the next NILSS. Locations visited included: Alice Springs, Darwin, Katherine, Nhulunbuy, Tennant Creek, Tiwi Islands, Broome, Esperance, Fitzroy Crossing, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Katanning, Kununurra, Perth, Wiluna, Broken Hill, Canberra, Dubbo, Grafton, Merimbula, Sydney, Brisbane, Burketown, Cairns, Mt Isa, Rockhampton, Thursday Island, Townsville, Weipa, Ballarat, Horsham, Melbourne, Mildura, Shepparton, Whyalla, Adelaide, Coober Pedy, Mt Gambier, Hobart, Launceston, Gippsland and online.

Along with engagement sessions, other engagement options included an online survey, written submissions to be sent via email, and a confidential phone call with a NILSS representative.

A NILSS information pack, including sector-specific discussion papers prepared with Indigenous experts, was available online and at each engagement session. You can view the materials below and check out the welcome brochure here.