Neurological conditions affect one in three Australians and are the leading cause of morbidity worldwide. Across northern Australia, incidence and impact are disproportionately high, particularly for Huntington’s disease and traumatic brain injury. Since 2023, the Far North Huntington’s Mobile Clinic has delivered specialist neurology, psychiatry, social work, speech pathology and social care on Country throughout the Kimberley. Working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the service has identified more than 25 remote communities at risk of, or living with, Huntington’s disease, a rare, genetically inherited, fatal neurodegenerative condition that is frequently misdiagnosed in the absence of neuropsychiatric and genetic counselling services. Misdiagnosis perpetuates stigma, limits access to appropriate care, and compounds intergenerational disadvantage.

Yarning, community-led research partnerships, and co-design have identified critical gaps in clinician education, community health literacy, and preventive neurological care across northern Australia. In response, we propose the Northern Shelf Neurological Network: a regionally coordinated, mobile neuropsychiatric model embedded in place and guided by First Nations leadership. The Network will establish mobile clinics across northern Australia, upskill local service providers, co-design culturally secure clinical pathways, and strengthen connections between communities and tertiary expertise. This initiative aims to place control of neuropsychiatric healthcare in the hands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities who have not been receiving clinical care until now.

The initiative demonstrates how regional innovation, grounded in Country and community governance, can advance sustainable health system development. By linking people and place through culturally responsive neurological care, the Northern Shelf Neurological Network aims to reduce inequity, strengthen workforce capability, and improve long-term outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families across northern Australia.

The clinic's Cultural Liaison Officer is a Founder of the initiative but is unable to travel at this time. They will share their unique insights via video recording.

Agrochemicals are used to minimise pests, protect crops and maximise yields. In northern Australia, intense and highly seasonal rainfall can mobilise these chemicals into waterways, creating water-quality, regulatory and operational risks that growers and water resource managers increasingly need to navigate as agricultural development expands. Supporting informed product selection is therefore an important component of maintaining productive farming systems while protecting water resources.
This presentation introduces a practical agrochemical selection support tool developed for the Ord River Irrigation Area through the CRC for Developing Northern Australia’s Water Security Program. In the Ord River Irrigation Area, the Keep River is the receiving environment for agricultural runoff and provides habitat for species listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, providing a strong local driver for improved water-quality risk management.
The tool brings together information on toxicity, environmental persistence and runoff potential for 25 commonly used products, enabling users to rapidly compare options or undertake more detailed, site-specific assessments incorporating soil properties, climatic conditions and management practices. Designed for use by growers and agronomists, the tool provides clear assessments of potential risks to people, livestock and environmental receptors, supporting transparent consideration of trade-offs between crop protection effectiveness and off-site impacts.
Delivered through a freely available online interface, the tool translates existing scientific knowledge into an accessible decision-support format, providing a practical pathway to reduce risk while supporting efficient and sustainable agricultural production across northern Australia.

Objective: To develop, implement and evaluate an SMS health messaging program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the remote Northern Territory.
Methods: An SMS program was co-designed, implemented and evaluated between April 2023 and November 2025 using a multi-phase co-design approach. Community-based Aboriginal researchers were centrally involved in the study and were responsible for leading and undertaking interviews, surveys, and yarning sessions, which were either led or facilitated, supporting culturally safe engagement, contextual interpretation of responses, and the integrity of the data collected. These messages underwent iterative refinement through expert and consumer co-design processes, ensuring that feedback from end-users was directly incorporated into the final message bank. Quantitative survey data were collected to assess patterns of mobile phone access, phone number stability, and consumer acceptance of SMS for health promotion.
Results: Digital readiness surveys from 46 participants demonstrated high feasibility for a text-based intervention: 73% of participants owned a mobile phone, 72% reported minimal device sharing, and 93% expressed few privacy concerns. Furthermore, 48% reported phone number stability for over two years. Following the co-design phase, 42 participants (24 female, 18 male) enrolled in the pilot program. Implementation data showed high engagement: 54 unique messages were delivered with a 94% successful delivery rate and zero unsubscribe requests. Post-implementation qualitative findings (individual interviews, n=13; focus group discussions, n=2) indicated acceptability and feasibility of the program. Participants reported that the co-designed content was supportive, culturally appropriate, and encouraging. Specifically, the positive tone and local relevance, particularly regarding mental health and health check-up reminders, were highly valued.
Conclusion: The co-design, implementation, and evaluation of an SMS health messaging program for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities represents a practical strategy to strengthen health communication and outcomes. Ongoing collaboration and adaptation will be essential to ensure sustainability and long-term impact.

Climate change is reshaping the goals of environmental management and encouraging research and innovation to deliver new management tools. Any shift, however, from protecting ecosystems in their current condition toward building resilience relative to changing climate states raises fundamental questions about legitimacy, trust and consent or, in short, social license.

Drawing on research undertaken through the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program and the Crown of Thorns Starfish Control Innovation Program, this presentation examines how social license is negotiated under conditions of rapid environmental change. It demonstrates broad public support for novel tools to protect reefs from climate extremes, facilitate recovery from disturbance, and accelerate adaptation to climate change. This does not, however, guarantee durable social license for the deployment of tools in specific management contexts.

Using Great Barrier Reef examples as a starting point, we explore what drives support for environmental innovation under climate change. Confidence in science is strongly correlated with support for research and action to protect and repair the Reef while belief environmental impacts can be identified and tested predicts support for the deployment of particular tools. Emotional responses to the prospect of intervention – most notably of hope –are also correlated strongly with support.

We conclude with practical implications for responsible and socially acceptable innovation in environmental management across Northern Australia.

Hope Vale Foundation is pioneering an Indigenous-led aquaculture enterprise that addresses three critical challenges: regional food security, the absence of intergenerational job pathways in remote communities, and the looming global shortage of sustainable protein.
Under the leadership of Rachelle McIvor, our dynamic General Manager and a proud Indigenous woman, this initiative is more than a business—it is a movement to change the trajectory of family stability and community resilience. Rachelle’s vision harnesses farming and aquaculture as enablers of personal growth, education, and economic empowerment, creating pathways for young people to thrive in industries of the future.
Hope Vale Foundation is leading Australia’s first commercial venture into Giant Freshwater Prawn aquaculture, a sector valued at over $5 billion globally. This bold step positions Cape York as a hub for sustainable protein production while embedding cultural knowledge at the heart of innovation. Our approach combines Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with cutting-edge agtech and collaborative research, ensuring that Indigenous wisdom drives development while modern technology amplifies impact.
Beyond production, this enterprise is designed as a wrap-around model—delivering education, skills training, and capacity-building programs that create enduring career pathways. By integrating aquaculture with community-led learning, we aim to transform futures, reduce dependency, and foster resilience across generations.
Supported by our Innovation and Commercialisation Manager, Tony Matchett, and guided by an all-Indigenous board, Hope Vale Foundation is setting a precedent for how Indigenous leadership can shape sustainable industries. This project is not just about prawns—it’s about hope, opportunity, and redefining what prosperity looks like for remote communities.
This new model is seeing Hope Vale Foundation establish new corporate business models that fosters partnership with impact investors where a shared vision for a meaningful future can be imagined. Northern Australia is abundant in opportunities that lend itself to Indigenous leadership. This is Hope Vale Foundations journey.

Across Northern Australia, health and social systems continue to operate in disconnected silos, addressing physical health, mental health, family support, culture and community wellbeing separately. Yet a major 2025 scoping review spanning Australia, Canada, Aotearoa New Zealand and the United States found no developed holistic evaluation models capable of capturing the interconnected nature of Indigenous health and wellbeing. Further analysis by the Lowitja Institute confirms that existing evaluation frameworks remain program‑focused rather than system‑focused, and rarely embed Indigenous governance or cultural authority as core structural components. This gap persists nationally, where evaluations measure services, but not the cultural, relational and community conditions that create long‑term resilience.
In Djarindjin, we have responded to this gap by placing Binimal Aambooriny, Strong People and Healthy Living Strategy at the heart of our community’s long‑term vision. Binimal Aambooriny is not an isolated initiative, it is the cornerstone of Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation’s 20‑year strategy, grounded in the cultural truth that without strong, healthy, culturally connected people, there is no future direction, no prosperity, and no sustainable path forward. Resources on culturally safe evaluation emphasise the centrality of culture, lived experience, relationships and Indigenous governance in shaping meaningful outcomes, principles fully embedded in the Binimal Aambooriny model. The holistic ACCHO model further reinforces that health is inseparable from land, culture and community relationships, validating Djarindjin’s integrated approach.
As a community‑controlled organisation that is more than 90% self‑funded through diverse business initiatives, DAC has embedded Binimal Aambooriny as the foundational layer upon which governance, economic development, cultural revitalisation and community wellbeing depend. This presentation will share how a holistic, culturally‑led, community‑governed model can strengthen health, social resilience and long‑term strategic direction, offering a practical pathway for northern communities seeking futures defined by culture, capability and self‑determination.

Across Australia, especially the Top End, cities and towns experience the challenge of being seen primarily as centres of employment rather than long term homes. This presentation explores how practical, community led actions at the local government level can strengthen belonging, connection and pride and in doing so influence whether people choose to stay.

Using Palmerston as a case study, the session will outline how accessible programs, inclusive planning and genuine engagement can shift community sentiment over time. Initiatives such as free community facility hire for not-for-profit groups, free access to the community pool and an expanded calendar of free events, programs and educational workshops, encourage shared experiences across age groups and cultures. Community funding streams have further enabled residents and local organisations to deliver their own initiatives, building capability and ownership at a grassroots level.

Strategic planning has been shaped by community voice. Guided by the Engagement Institute framework, engagement processes including broad consultation and a Citizen Assembly informed the development of the Community Plan. This ensured priorities were not simply organisational aspirations but reflected lived experience. The voices of the community have informed business support initiatives and local economic development responses.

Inclusion has been embedded through the Disability Inclusion and Access Plan and now our new Reconciliation Action Plan, influencing how events, facilities and programs are delivered. Practical measures such as low sensory sessions, chill out zones and multicultural programming demonstrate how inclusion can move beyond policy into everyday experience.

Rather than presenting a singular model, this session shares lessons, challenges and replicable authentic approaches. It aims to leave with you with practical ideas and renewed confidence that community centred decisions can collectively shape places where people not only work, but genuinely feel they belong.

This presentation showcases the Northern Territory Government’s coordinated approach to aligning major infrastructure planning with water resource planning in the Adelaide River catchment. It will outline the Darwin Region Water Supply Program and the assessment process that identified the Adelaide River Off‑stream Water Storage (AROWS) as the preferred future water supply option.
We will describe how support from the National Water Grid Authority has enabled a genuinely integrated planning and funding approach, allowing the Adelaide River Water Allocation Plan to be developed in parallel with the AROWS infrastructure program. This alignment is helping ensure that long‑term water security, environmental considerations and community expectations are embedded early and consistently across both processes.
The presentation will share lessons learned from engaging with shared stakeholders, navigating the different scales and requirements of the project‑specific environmental impact assessment and the broader water allocation plan, and deepening our understanding of the catchment’s hydrology, cultural values and development pressures. These insights are strengthening both the plan and the project, ensuring they remain transparent, resilient and responsive to emerging information.
A key focus will be how two of Government's critical roles are being delivered in the Catchment. Securing Darwin’s future water supply through the AROWS project, led by Department of Logistics and Infrastructure. At the same time, ensuring our natural assets are managed sustainably and that community trade‑offs are understood and balanced led by Department of Lands Planning and Environment. Working side by side strengthens both processes and delivers a more transparent, resilient and future‑focused approach to water security for the region.

Abstract
Background: Standard linear regression methods sometimes miss complex spatial patterns in economic data, leading to inaccurate judgments about the geographic implications of resource prices. This study addresses this methodological issue by analysing regional and temporal trends in water pricing using panel data from 16 Queensland water supply schemes over 11 years (2015-2025). We tested whether prices showed temporal trends, regional differences, or north-south gradients.
Methods: We employed three complementary analytical methods. First, cross-sectional linear regression examined discrete spatial and sectoral effects. Second, fixed effects panel models identified temporal trends and structural breaks. Third, Generalised Additive Models (GAMs) investigated sophisticated spatial linkages and non-linear patterns.
Results: Cross-sectional analysis identified substantial regional variation (R² = 0.553), with prices in cotton-producing areas 258% higher, horticulture areas 81.1% higher, and Burdekin (sugarcane) region 63% lower than baseline. Fixed effects panel data revealed a structural break in 2019, with prices rising 129-238% above 2015 baseline through 2025. GAMs revealed highly significant non-linear spatial patterns explaining 48.8% of price variation through multi-modal geographic structures requiring approximately eight directional changes. Water pricing follows a complex non-linear temporal trajectory with approximately four directional changes. High edf-to-ref.df ratios for spatial (95.2%) and temporal (81.0%) components confirm these patterns require sophisticated non-linear modeling, revealing total price differentials of 3,000 units (160% variation) across the region.
Conclusions: GAM models are three times more effective than linear specifications, demonstrating that conventional methods systematically miss complex spatial patterns. Four distinct geographic pricing zones require zone-specific policy approaches, challenging uniform pricing frameworks.
Policy Implications: The 160% spatial variation and sustained post-2019 elevation indicate irrigation profitability has increased over time but varies markedly between regions. No north-south gradient exists; instead, complex variations are driven by regional differences, particularly crop types.
Keywords: Water pricing, spatial analysis, generalised additive models, agricultural water markets, Queensland

Background: Agricultural development in tropical Northern Australia has been constrained by limited systematic comparison of crop performance under different production systems. This study synthesises four decades (1984-2024) of field trial data across eight major crops to identify economically viable cropping systems for the Douglas Daly and Katherine regions of the Northern Territory.
Methods: We analysed yield performance, economic returns, and production risk for rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, mungbean, cotton, peanuts, and aromatic rice using data from 15 rice cultivars, 4-year irrigated maize trials, and 11-year dryland rotations. Economic viability was assessed through gross margin analysis with risk quantification using coefficient of variation and probability analysis.
Results: Only three systems achieved economic viability (>$2,000/ha): mungbean-maize rotations ($3,557/ha), irrigated winter maize ($2,503/ha), and high-yielding cotton ($2,000-3,000/ha). Rice dry season production, despite lowest yield variability (CV 14.7%), proved unviable at current prices ($360/t), generating only $802/ha—requiring ≥$500/t for viability. No-tillage systems demonstrated exceptional drought resilience, with advantages amplifying four-fold under stress (from 31-33% to 110-159%). Water productivity analysis revealed maize ($452-518/ML) was 3-4× more efficient than cotton ($111-175/ML).
Conclusions: Mungbean-maize rotations represent optimal systems, combining superior economics, risk diversification, and proven performance. No-tillage practices are essential for climate adaptation. Rice viability depends on premium pricing and top-quartile yields.
Policy Implications: Findings inform allocation of 41,541 ha suitable cropland and $100M+ investment. Water policies should prioritize high-productivity crops (maize 3-4× cotton efficiency). No-tillage adoption warrants policy support given demonstrated drought resilience. Rice subsidies require reassessment unless premium markets secured. Urgent research needs include rice water use quantification and cotton economic validation for evidence-based water allocation.
Keywords: Tropical agriculture, cropping systems, economic analysis, risk assessment, water productivity, policy implications

We live in a fast trasnformative world impacting hugely on all aspects of economy, society, environment, and governance. Some places or regions can adapt to such events much more readily and scuccessfully than others, but many parts of Northern Australia have lagged the transformative processes and their communities are in poor shape. I personally have worked on many regional development issues in my home community of Armidale in northern NSW which is accommodating transformative events highly succesfully by having numerous forward thinking organisations both public and private and lots of community activists all working together in various ways. This presentation will analyse all elements in depth, how they interact beneficially, and the benefits created.
Of course, some places luckily have lots of creative opportunities driven by high-class individuals and organisations alongside numerous high environmental qualities. But while local issues are incredibly important, increasingly critical issues are heaps of international issues imp for many acting economies, societies and environment driven by the likes of Trump, Xi and Putin. Alongside all these factors, sit numerous further events shaping futures. Some countries and their regions have declining populations for numerous challenging reasons. Numerous accellerating environmental challenges are helping unavoidably to benefit some locations and damaging others. Regional resouce capacities are also rapidly re-shaping to the unexpected benefit of some and the decay of others.
Policy making for effective development is therefore becoming much more challenging, whether nationally, regionally or place-based. What we need increasingly is the expanding agility of all participants. The past is passed and the future lies in our agile hands. That's enough for now.

Yugul Mangi Development Aboriginal Corporation (YMDAC) was established in 2008 to support the wellbeing of our Yugul Mangi clan groups, families and Country.

Our fourteen nominated Directors speak for and represent the seven Clan Groups Groups of South-East Arnhem Land region, carrying the voices, responsibilities and cultural authority passed down through generations.

Across these traditional lands lie many strong opportunities. Some of these include land and sea management, cultural tourism, commercial fishing, delivery of community services and social programs, civil and construction work. YMDAC is focused on helping our people build skills, create livelihoods and grow clan-based enterprises that keep wealth and leadership on Country.

As the local decision-making partner with government, YMDAC is building its capacity to take on more of the work delivered on our own Country including the delivery of three significant community-priority infrastructure projects for Ngukurr community with $15 million of funding secured as well as an additional $57 million of future infrastructure being scoped including:
• Ngukurr Oval Community and Sports Precinct (Precinct);
• Ngukurr Boat Ramp Upgrade;
• Ngukurr Multipurpose Centre Administration Hub; and
• Ngukurr Precinct Activation Project (future project in scoping stages that will see the creation of 250 new, local jobs within locally owned and operated enterprises and industry).

The Precinct is a $25 million, three-stage community-led and controlled project with $11.2 million of funding secured from six different funding sources for Stages 1 & 2.

This project has developed over 10-15 years and through the commitment and determination of community leaders is now in the final stages of the design process, following an extensive, community paced, controlled and led consultation process.

This presentation focuses on the immense challenges and varying obstacles faced by very remote Aboriginal communities to deliver community-driven capital projects and the invisible burdens carried by community leaders.

Weir River’ (Mullul Warril), is a 4900-acre property situated on Bigambul Country in the Cecil Plains/Moonie area. Weir River provides an opportunity to investigate, and concept test a business model that creates entrepreneurial opportunities in the rural sector for First Nations people. Weir River, along with up to four other sites under First Nations people’s control, will be used as part of a research-led project encompassing: Caring for Country principles of traditional land management techniques, bush tucker, floriculture, nutraceuticals, Indigenous entrepreneurial opportunities, education and employment opportunities for First Nations youth, and market opportunities for indigenous plants harnessed On Country. Information gained from this project can be used to inform replication of the business model to other agricultural land across Queensland, providing business and employment pathways for First Nations peoples. The project aims to support First Nations disengaged youth at risk of suicide and expose young people to land and river management opportunities that increase health and wellbeing and align to future job opportunities across regional Queensland. Undertaking a scoping study with First Nations on country is a First Nations research design and led project that aimed to identify data gaps, challenges and opportunities related to the experiences, needs and aspirations of First Nations people in regional communities of Queensland (Darling Downs and Southwest). Invest in traditional knowledge of the country, both land and water alongside stockmen and rangers or country managers who do water surveillance, pasture monitoring, burning off and in-depth tracking of the land to ensure if areas are being overgrazed or suffering, they are fenced off and protected. Attract and retain First Nations disengaged youth at risk of suicide and expose young people to land and river management opportunities that increase health and wellbeing and align to jobs in the future.

Explore Aboriginal Water Reserves, how they are identified, designated and managed across the Northern Territory under legislation and policy. An overview of the water available to support Aboriginal economic development in water plan areas of the Northern Territory, the policy and planning frameworks that underpin reserve allocation, and determining eligible land.