First Nations people have deep traditions around asset management and many of these ideas are being recognised and integrated into mainstream thinking in both Australia and New Zealand.
In both countries, the indigenous approach to asset management contain core principles of interconnectedness with nature, and take a long term perspective on sustainability and preserving the environment for future generations.
They also put a priority on social, cultural and environmental outcomes in balance with financial returns.
In New Zealand, weaving the Te Ao Maori philosophy into planning is having a transformative impact on the country’s infrastructure and takes a system wide approach which blends traditional wisdom with modern technologies.
Te Ao Maori values seek a balance between the natural environment and community growth, and these principles have been enshrined in legislation such as the Natural Built Environment Act and the Spatial Planning Act, which reflect New Zealand’s growing commitment to partnership.
The core principles of the Maori approach are to see humans as part of the natural world and not separate from it, and also recognise the spiritual significance of the environment and how it impacts on mental and physical health.
Humans are guardians of the environment and their governorship must be driven by generosity and hospitality, utilising traditional knowledge around seasonal changes, animal migrations, and the sustainable use of natural resources.
In exercising stewardship, relationships with stakeholder and community engagement are also key priorities.
The value of this approach has been widely recognised in New Zealand, with economics think tank the NZ Institute of Economic Research acknowledging that the failure “to value natural capital leads to sub optimal decision making.”
The NZIER recommended that New Zealand work on natural capital frameworks which integrated a “long term focus for Maori concerns, which reflect a context unique to New Zealand which will not be addressed elsewhere.”
There are emerging case studies from New Zealand on the impact of these often nature based asset management solutions.
Nelson City Council is collaborating with consultancy WSP on an asset management framework with successfully integrates the Maori worldview into infrastructure planning and decision making.
In the Bay of Plenty, WSP worked with the Hauraki Rail Charitable Trust to help drive the use of the NZ Cycle Trail Great Ride Network and also to deliver economic and social benefits to communities.
The approach incorporated Maori knowledge and design principles to enhance connectivity and enhance the user experience.
Many of the principles of Maori stewardship are also common to First Nations people in Australia, where the approach is rooted in traditional knowledge and cultural practices which are holistic and place a priority on sustainability.
Once again, the focus is not on the extraction or exploitation of resources but on ensuring the health and longevity of the eco-system and its inter-connectedness with all living things.
There is also a strong cultural connection with natural resources, with the land and sea deeply connected to identity.
Cultural burning, the traditional Aboriginal practice of using fire to manage the land and prevent uncontrolled bushfires is one practice that has re-emerged in recent years in the aftermath of devastating fires.
Cultural burning differs significantly from the practice of back burning used by fire authorities for decades. Cultural burning uses fire as a tool to care for the land and promote biodiversity, often involving smaller and slower burning than the hazard reduction approach of back burning.
Western Australia’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is factoring this cultural burning approach into its land management alongside western practices.
While contemporary burning practices may differ from cultural burning practices, increasing engagement between traditional owners and other land managers is building an understanding of the differences, and is providing opportunities to improve fire management practices through a partnership approach.
In the Kimberley and the western desert areas, Aboriginal communities, often working with fire and land management agencies like DBCA’s Parks and Wildlife Service, have maintained cultural burning practices supported by modern technologies. In addition to social and cultural benefits, burning has also mitigated the damaging impacts of bushfires and benefitted local ecosystems.
On the other side of the country Transport for NSW has funded a pilot project under the Network Resilience Program through the Aboriginal Cultural Land Project.
This pilot initiative is supporting four Aboriginal communities in regional NSW to revive and apply cultural and traditional land management practices, such as cultural burning, to improve the resilience of transport networks.
These pilot projects are being delivered with Aboriginal Engagement Project Officers working directly with community and through a grant program that promotes Aboriginal-led approaches and builds local capability in cultural land management.
These examples in New Zealand and Australia show how contemporary asset management practice is embracing traditional First Nation concepts to meet the fresh environmental challenges of the 21st century.
With Maori celebrating the Mataraki period and Australia marking NAIDOC week in June and July, indigenous approaches to asset management are coming into fresh focus.
