PAMA Futures
Pama Futures is a cohesive reform agenda incorporating Land Rights, Empowerment and Economic Development developed by the people of Cape York, for the people of Cape York.
Pama Futures provides the planning and organisation required to create an intelligent and dynamic system across Cape York, connecting with state and federal government, through which First Nations can drive vital reforms in three streams:
Land Rights reforms are needed so First Nations people can increasingly sustain themselves—socially, culturally and economically—from their ancestral lands.
We have work to do to ensure that statutory land rights, native title and other property rights are held through a properly supported system of local and regional governance, so that land assets can be used and managed well by the grassroots, and in turn by their landholding entities.
We are focussed on developing the first iteration of sub-regional Land Rights plans, including each sub-region conducting a ‘stocktake’ of its various land tenures and native title, and of its various land holding organisations, and by beginning to consider plans that can help to strengthen grassroots governance.
Empowerment realigns the relationship between the First Nations and governments—so that Indigenous people of a place are taking responsibility for themselves, rather than governments having all the responsibility. Empowerment reforms have a major focus on ensuring all areas of Cape York are taking control of the budget for their sub-region.
We are focussed on developing the first iteration of sub-regional Empowerment plans which will form the basis of negotiations and agreement-making about budgets and service delivery with governments.
We need regional empowerment planning to ensure that the right enabling support is available to the sub-regions again including a network of community-based Hubs that can help facilitate ongoing on-the-ground co-design, implementation and connecting local people to supports, including those available in the regional organisations.
Economic Development is needed to Close the Gap on employment and to enable the long term social and economic viability of Cape York by reducing reliance on government. Economic Development reforms have a major focus on the creation of Investment Ready Tenures so Indigenous people can choose to have their land plugged into the mainstream economy.
Unless Indigenous people are supported to resolve issues that impede economic development, they will continue to hold back aspirations and investment for land and enterprise for decades to come.
We are focussed on developing sub-regional Economic Development plans and a regional Economic Development plan to ensure that the right enabling support is available to the sub-regions—creating islands of economic development in a sea of welfare dependence will always be very difficult, if not impossible, so a strategy for the region as a whole is essential.
