Dear friends and colleagues –
Welcome to NintiNews, the first issue of our new, combined newsletter for Ninti One Ltd, the CRC for Remote Economic Participation (CRC-REP), the Australian Feral Camel Management Project and other enterprises on behalf of remote Australia. I also welcome your feedback and contributions.
Introducing Ninti One
For those who many not be familiar with Ninti One, we are a national enterprise with headquarters in Alice Springs and nodes in Adelaide, Canberra, Darwin and Perth. Ninti One is a not- for-profit company which manages the CRC-REP and other national programs working for remote Australia. Our mission is to provide the knowledge base essential to create thriving remote communities and economies through research, innovation, expertise, education and outreach. Our network of 50 partners and participants spans the Australian continent.
Our aim is to:
- address social and economic disadvantage of people in remote regions of Australia
- find solutions to economic exclusion
- increase people's economic participation
- improve understanding of Australia’s remote regions
- increase the skills and capacity of their people
- enhance and protect the natural environment
- understand the impact of climate change on remote Australia.
A busy year
As I informed our Board recently, it’s been a year of non-stop activity at Ninti One. Among our main achievements:
- All 50 partners and participants signed into CRC-REP
- Agreements certified with the Commonwealth by July 19, 2010
- Successful launch, initial workshops held in most CRC Program areas
- Administration systems overhauled
- 19 staff recruited (11 in Alice Springs)
- Camel project met all milestones up to November 2010
- 29 Aboriginal researchers trained and working
- Sound start for our new management team.
Who’s in charge?
If you’d like to know who is behind Ninti One, its policies and activities, please meet our dedicated and hard-working Board:
Ninti One online
For information about the activities and research of NintiOne Ltd and the CRC-REP, you can visit our new website, www.nintione.com.au, which will be launched this month.
Our research matrix
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Readers of the CRC-REP and Ninti One newsletters are probably well aware by now of our three main research programs and their main component research projects, but this diagram helps to explain how they integrate, in order to build a better future for remote Australia.
Over the past twelve months, we’ve negotiated the CRC-REP contract with the Australian Government, locked in a budget of $40.5m cash and $77.1m in kind, established three Research Programs and eleven Research Projects, signed up 53 Partners who will provide us with 219.8 FTE staff, recruited ten Project Research Leaders, and held seven research workshops.
Reshaping remote education
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I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr John Guenther of the School of Education at Flinders University and as Principal Research Leader for CRC-REP’s Remote Education Systems research program. John believes there is a great opportunity to reshape Australia’s remote education based on the best experiences of individual communities, and by working to their strengths enable their young people to take greater advantage of livelihood and enterprise opportunities.
The research will seek to identify how education systems can be better designed to suit the needs of communities and stakeholders in remote regions by examining demand (what students, carers and the local economy need), supply (what systems need to provide, including better staff recruitment and retention), policy issues and alternative delivery models.
Our Research Leaders
Just to update you on who’s now leading our various research projects:
- Population Mobility and Labour Markets: Associate Professor Michael Dockery, Curtin University, Perth
- Enduring Community Value From Mining: Professor Fiona McKenzie, Curtin University
- Energy Futures and Climate Adaptation in Remote Australia: Dr Ashley Sparrow, CSIRO Alice Springs
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Economies: Tim Acker, Curtin University, Perth
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Enterprise: Dr Peter Twigg, Curtin University, Ilkurlka, WA
- Carbon Economies in Remote Australia: Dr Ashley Sparrow, CSIRO Alice Springs
- Plant Business: Dr Slade Lee, Southern Cross University, Lismore
- Precision Pastoral Management Tools: Sally Leigo, NTG Department of Resources, Alice Springs
- Interplay Between Health, Wellbeing, Education and Employment: Dr Sheree Cairney, Centre for Remote Health, Melbourne
- Remote Education Systems: Dr John Guenther, Flinders University, Alice Springs.
You can contact any of our research leaders by applying their name to the following email address formula: firstname.lastname@nintione.com.au.
Researcher Induction Week
This week all currently employed CRC-REP researchers have attended an action packed Researcher Induction program. Over these three days, people have had plenty of opportunity to find out more about their project and how they can collaborate with colleagues.
Many of the sessions have orientated around key issues faced by researchers. CRC-REP resource people were available to answer questions on such topics as, how to engage with the media, what document tracking facilities are available and how best to engage stakeholders.
Researchers have had an action packed week and are now ready to go.
For further information please contact Wendy Cowan, Manager Education, Coordination and Development at wendy.cowan@batchelor.edu.au.
Profile: Sally Leigo
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Sally is CRC-REP's Research Leader for the Precision Pastoral Management Tools Project. She’s spent the past seven years working as a Beef Cattle Research and Extension officer for the NT Department of Primary Industries, running a variety of projects for pastoralists in central Australia.
“My roots are in far-western NSW on a sheep, cattle and goat property run by my family, very similar to Alice Springs with plenty of red dirt and mulga trees,” Sally explains, adding she finds it inspiring to work on a project that could revolutionise the management of cattle stations alongside such enthusiastic and driven people. “They provide me with ample inspiration on the tough days.”
Sally’s favourite movie is the Doris Day classic Calamity Jane. “I always felt sorry for Calamity getting all dolled up to impress the captain and then falling flat on her face in the mud, ruining her beautiful yellow dress. That little hand of humility I have experienced far too many times!” Her current read is suitable for winter: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (for the 3rd time).
Her idea of a great weekend is, “Friday night drinks with friends, good wine and oodles of cheese and biccies, Saturday lie-ins with a good book and the remainder of the weekend spent adventuring in new places or haunting old favourites."
Sally says her main goal in life currently is to contribute to the sustainability to the pastoral industry. “I love this industry and I want to ensure future generations can enjoy it too.” Her greatest hero is her grandmother. “She was the youngest woman to own a pastoral lease in Western NSW and always encouraged me by saying that ‘anything is possible, you just have to put the effort in’.” She adds, “Both my parents are my heros too, as they always choose to laugh than to cry in the tough times.”
Recent progress
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Work to date on the Camel project includes:
- extensive consultation with partners to formulate the Year 3 plans
- ongoing work to increase and maintain landholder consents for camel removal
- developing capacity for both commercial and non-commercial forms of camel removal
- a wide range of activities relating to on-ground monitoring of the environmental assets affected by camels
- the launch of CamelScan - the community mapping resources that allows us to track camels and their damage across inland Australia.
Profile: Quentin Hart
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Quentin is officially the National Manager of the Australian Feral Camel Management Project, however he says, “These days I prefer to go with Andy Bubb’s generalised, non-controversial, self-assessed job description of ‘sending emails and keeping people happy’, but let’s just say that my job involves management of a certain large exotic mammal in the Australian landscape”.
“My background is working with the Australian Government, including collaboration with the Invasive Animals CRC, on invasive species research, policy and management for about 15 years. Prior to that I worked with the Countrylink information service for rural and remote communities and had a brief stint as an agronomist on a cotton station. (Actually he served for many years on the National Vertebrate Pests Committee, and was on the expert writing group for Australia’s Pest Animal Strategy.)
Of his work, Quentin says, “Working with the Bubbster is a daily pleasure … although you do have to keep these Gen Ys focused – when he’s not looking at motion-activated digital camera catalogues he does some great work! Despite (or maybe because of) some of the controversies, the job is interesting, practical and involves some great people.”
His favourite movie: “If I was to say Kick-Ass, I would sound immature, superficial and supportive of ultra-violence, but there it is." His current ‘read’ is “DKCRC Report #47 – it’s a cracker…can’t wait for the ending." Quentin defines his great weekend as: “Apart from reading Report #47, it would involve a mountain bike, sunshine and Coopers’ Ale.”
His current goal is “a successful outcome with the camel project. Longer term involves creating the time and financial wherewithal to do a range of volunteer work.”
And Quentin’s ideal role model? - “Hit-Girl from Kick-Ass.”
New publications
The bulk of the remaining DKCRC reports have been published, with a few more to be finalised this month. The topics come from the areas of DKCRC work about small and medium enterprises, services to remote communities, the value of country visits in bush schools, Aboriginal employment at the Alice Springs Desert Park, and more.
These links take you directly to the file – note that the details of the file size are given at the end of each record.
Buckskin P, Malin M, Warrior E, Wyld F and Meagher S. 2011. Engagement, focus and hope for the future: the Port Augusta Partnerships for Success program. DKCRC Research Report 66. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 3.4MB)
Carson D, Holyoak N and Schmallegger D. 2011. Visualising Relatively Unpredictable Movement (VRUM): the Tourism Flows Modelling Project. DKCRC Research Report 60. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 5.5MB)
Catlin J, Jones R, Pilgrim A and Thompson G. 2011. iOutback(TM): Evaluating the need for an in-vehicle, location-based, two-way information exchange system for travellers in regional and remote areas. DKCRC Working paper 77. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 4.0MB)
Centre for Remote Health - a joint centre of Flinders University and Charles Darwin University and in conjunction with Tangentyere Council. 2011. Aboriginal population mobility in Alice Springs: Analysis of public housing. DKCRC Research Report 57. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs.
Douglas J. 2011. Learning from country: the value of country visits in remote schools for community engagement and natural and cultural resource management. DKCRC Research Report 69. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 4.0MB)
Fernando D, Gibbs J, Wyld F and Rola-Rubzen MF. 2011. Networking for critical mass: The West Coast Aboriginal Network (WestCAN) case study. DKCRC Working Paper 81. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 7.0MB)
Fisher S, Elvin R, McFallan S, Memmott P, O'Rourke T, Peter S, Porter R, Stanley O, Sullivan P, Tedmanson D and Young M. 2011. Desert Services that Work: Demand-responsive approaches to desert settlements. DKCRC Research Report 70. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 5.6MB)
Guerin B and Guerin P. 2011. Pukatja/Ernabella and its environs. DKCRC Working Paper 65. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 3.2MB)
Guerin B, Guerin P and Seemann K. 2011. Seeds of sustainability: growing your desert communities. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 3.0MB)
Ninti One Limited. 2011. Briefing paper: Desert Services that Work: principles of effective desert services. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size o.4MB)
Ninti One Limited. 2011. Briefing paper: Desert Services that Work: the role and contribution of community researchers. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 0.5MB)
O'Rourke T. 2011. Delivering drinking water to Dajarra, North West Queensland. DKCRC Research Report 64. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 8.5MB)
Raicu R, Taylor M, Meng L and Currie G. 2011. Scoping study on regional transport in desert Australia. DKCRC Research Report 62. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 4.2MB)
Rola-Rubzen M and Gabunada F. 2011. Local government initiatives to support business and employment in desert regions. DKCRC Research Report 75. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 3.5MB)
Rola-Rubzen M and Gabunada F. 2011. Profile of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia. DKCRC Working Paper 83. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 4.7MB)
Rola-Rubzen M, Newman W, Burritt RL, Mapunda G, Norris G and Vemuri S. 2011. Report of the workshops on Supporting livelihoods and small businesses: Identifying clever ways of creating and supporting better livelihoods for desert Australia. DKCRC Research Report 73. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 5.0MB)
Sullivan P. 2011. The policy goal of normalisation, the National Indigenous Reform Agreement and Indigenous National Partnerships Agreements. DKCRC Working Paper 76. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 3.2MB)
Walsh F and Davies J. 2011. Our work is about learning, colleagues, culture and place: Aboriginal employment at the Alice Springs Desert Park. DKCRC Research Report 72. Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs. (file size 7.9MB)
Remote diary
2nd Indigenous Education, Transitions and Employment Conference
19-20 July 2011, Citigate Central, Sydney
2-5 August 2011, Darwin
ECO Fair 20-21 August 2011, Alice Springs9-18 September 2011, Alice Springs
Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Conference
20 September 2011, Perth
International Rural Network World Forum
24-28 September 2011, Upper Spencer Gulf, Australia
2011 Spatially Enabled Livestock Management Symposium
29 September 2011, Surfers Paradise, Queensland
Indigenous Economic Development Forum
13-14 October, Darwin
NT Research and Innovation Awards Dinner
14 October, Darwin
Desert Knowledge Symposium
7-10 November 2011, Alice Springs Convention Centre
5th Annual Indigenous Career Development and Mentoring Conference
15-17 November 2011, Sydney
2nd International Future Mining Conference
21-23 November 2011, University of New South Wales, Sydney
5th State of Australian Cities (SOAC) Conference
29 November - 2 December 2011, University of Melbourne, Melbourne
With best wishes,
Jan Ferguson
Managing Director,
Ninti One Ltd and CRC-REP
