ISX Chairman Gerhardt Pearson meets with cattle representatives from Cape York and the Kimberley

NEW ALLIANCE WINS FUNDING FOR INDIGENOUS CATTLE STRATEGY

By Northern Indigenous Pastoral Alliance

NIPA wins $15,000 innovation grant.

The recently formed Northern Indigenous Pastoral Alliance (NIPA) has won a $15,000 innovation grant from the Brotherhood of St Laurence in Melbourne to explore ways to better manage and commercialise Indigenous cattle properties.

The grant will enable the National Indigenous Pastoral Alliance to bring to implementation stage a new franchise strategy that has the objective of creating more professional and better remunerated roles for Indigenous cattle managers and developing commercially sustainable Indigenous pastoral operations.

It is expected that pilot projects on Cape York Peninsula and the Kimberley will be developed as well as a range of systems and tools for franchising cattle stations Spokesman for NIPA on its new strategy, Peter McEntee, said: This grant from the Brotherhood of St Laurence will allow us to explore the detail of implementing a franchise strategy for Indigenous cattle operations. Through this means we will be able to streamline the relationships between Indigenous cattle operations and communities; set out clear performance guidelines for Indigenous cattle businesses and create a body of more professional, better remunerated Indigenous cattle managers.

At the present time it is ridiculous to expect Indigenous cattle managers to perform at almost welfare level wages and conditions. By improving remuneration and at the same time improving the performance objectives for Indigenous pastoral properties and the dividends flowing to Indigenous communities we hope to bring about a new era of prosperity in the Indigenous pastoral industry, McEntee said.

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