This is a multi-phase project. Phase 1, undertaken in 2019, involved a rapid appraisal of four mine sites across regional and remote Australia: Jundee (WA), Tanami (NT), Woodcutters (NT) and Amrun (Qld). The action research project is intended to enliven this domain as a way to increase opportunities for participation of local Indigenous people, especially from the landowning groups.
Phase 2 entailed building on knowledge gained from Phase 1; specifically, to gain deeper insights, and also to address the study’s limitations. A key aim of Phase 2 was to communicate the findings, particularly to the Indigenous participants of the study. Even though the findings were reported publicly through the consortium web page, the emphasis of Phase 2 is on Indigenous groups, as the written technical report was recognised as not the most accessible format for reaching Indigenous participants.
The Phase 2 plan was to package the findings in an interesting and engaging format – then use a participatory approach to report back on the findings at each site. Through this engagement the findings could be validated or otherwise adjusted based on participatory feedback sessions from the Indigenous participants themselves.