Socio-economic benefits
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Maintenance and enhancement of the multiple socio-economic benefits to meet the needs of societies has been identified as one of the key criteria for sustainable forest management in Australia.
Forests managers not only care for the environmental and biophysical aspects of forests, they also work to enhance the social and economic benefits derived from Australian forests.
These include investment in the forest sector; employment and community needs; indigenous participation and management; recreation and tourism; cultural and spiritual values; education; and production and consumption of forest products.
Case study – Protecting Indigenous Areas through conservation
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have managed their lands for tens of thousands of years. Land is central to their lives and well-being and is fundamental to Indigenous history, culture and spiritual beliefs.
The Indigenous Protected Areas Programs are a voluntary agreement entered into by the Traditional Owners of the land and the Commonwealth government to promote biodiversity and cultural resource conservation on indigenous owned land. It is one of the ways in which Indigenous Australians are being supported to meet their cultural responsibility to care for their country and to pass on their knowledge about the land and its resources to future generations.
So far there are 18 locations that have been declared Indigenous Protected Areas that cover a total area of over 14 million hectares. There are 2 in New South Wales, 3 in Northern Territory, 2 in Queensland, 4 in South Australia, 3 in Tasmania, 2 in Victoria, 2 in Western Australia.
For more information about Indigenous Protected Areas Programs visit the Department of the Environment and Water Resources website.
