# Introduction & Cultural Foundations Every architectural project in Australia sits on Country that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have cared for over 65,000 years. This guide helps you understand what that means for your practice. ## Our Position CLAD is a non-Indigenous-led architectural practice based on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country (Naarm / Melbourne) and Trawlwoolway Country (lutruwita / Tasmania). Sovereignty over these lands was never ceded. We cannot "Design with Country" — that is First Nations-led work. We offer this guide as **culturally-responsive support** for non-Indigenous practitioners learning to enable Indigenous-led design and to **design with respect for Country**. Country-centred design is owned by Indigenous peoples and embodied through Indigenous designers (AIA First Nations Advisory Committee, October 2025). This guide is pending review by an engaged First Nations advisor. Until that review is complete and credited in Chapter 10, treat everything here as the working position of a non-Indigenous practice doing its homework, not as authoritative cultural guidance. > **NSCA 2021 alignment:** This chapter introduces the standards demonstrated across the rest of the guide — PC 8 (First Nations Engagement Processes), PC 17 (Caring for Country), and PC 27 (First Nations Engagement in Design). ## Why This Matters Since 2021, Indigenous engagement knowledge has been mandatory for architect registration in Australia: the National Standard of Competency for Architects now requires demonstrated competency in Indigenous engagement principles.1 Beyond the registration obligation, every site holds cultural significance, stories, and ongoing connections to Traditional Owners — and understanding that context makes you a better architect. ## Three Things to Do First Before you start any project, familiarise yourself with these three resources: ### 1. AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia Find out whose Country you're working on. This map shows Traditional Custodian boundaries across Australia. Bookmark it. Use it at the start of every project to identify the relevant community contacts and understand cultural boundaries.2 > **Why we link rather than display:** The AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia is a culturally significant resource that requires formal permission for reproduction. In keeping with the principles of this guide—respecting Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property—we direct you to view the map on the official AIATSIS website rather than reproducing it here. **[View the AIATSIS Map](https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia)** --- ### 2. Australian Indigenous Design Charter Learn the 10 principles for working with Indigenous knowledge in design. The Charter gives you practical guidelines for projects involving Indigenous imagery, stories, or cultural elements. It helps you avoid appropriation and ensure your design work is culturally appropriate.3 **[Read the Design Charter](https://indigenousdesigncharter.com.au/australian-indigenous-design-charter/)**  _Fig. 1.2: The Australian Indigenous Design Charter, developed by Indigenous designers and communities, outlines 10 key principles for ethical design practice.3_ --- ### 3. National Standard of Competency for Architects (2021) Understand your professional obligations. The NSCA 2021 makes Indigenous engagement a core competency. You need to demonstrate knowledge of engagement principles and culturally appropriate practice to maintain your registration. **[View NSCA Explanatory Notes (PDF)](https://aaca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021-NSCA-Explanatory-Notes.pdf)**  _Fig. 1.3: The National Standard of Competency for Architects (2021) includes Indigenous engagement as a core professional competency requirement._ --- ## How This Guide Works The guide has 10 chapters, each building on the last: | Chapter | Title | What You'll Learn | | ------- | ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | Introduction & Cultural Foundations | You are here | | 2 | Understanding Country | What Country means and why it's central to design | | 3 | Decolonising Architecture | How to shift from colonial to Indigenous-led practice | | 4 | Engagement & Collaboration | How to work with communities throughout a project | | 5 | Cultural Protocols | Acknowledgments, language, and respectful behaviour | | 6 | Professional Standards | Regulatory frameworks and competency requirements | | 7 | Victorian Context | State-specific legislation (if you work in Victoria) | | 8 | Essential Resources & Tools | Books, maps, and organisations to support your work | | 9 | Precedent Projects | Projects that demonstrate what good looks like | | 10 | Your Path Forward | What to do next | The chapters work in sequence. Skip to Chapter 7 if you only need the Victorian regulatory checklist; otherwise read in order — each chapter builds on the last. --- ## Next Steps Continue to **Chapter 2: Understanding Country** to learn what Country means to First Nations peoples and why it must be central to every design decision you make. --- ## References 1 Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA). (2021). _National Standard of Competency for Architects (NSCA) 2021 Explanatory Notes_. Retrieved from https://aaca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021-NSCA-Explanatory-Notes.pdf 2 Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). _Map of Indigenous Australia_. Retrieved from https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia 3 Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria (IADV). _Australian Indigenous Design Charter_. Retrieved from https://indigenousdesigncharter.com.au/

# Understanding Country > **NSCA 2021 alignment:** This chapter supports demonstration of PC 17 (Caring for Country) — specifically the requirement to understand Indigenous concepts of Country and custodianship as the foundation for sustainable, Country-informed design. Country is the single most important concept you need to understand as an architect working in Australia. For First Nations peoples, Country isn't just land. It's a living entity that encompasses everything: the physical landscape, the waters, the sky, the plants and animals, the stories, the ancestors, and the people. When Indigenous Australians talk about Country, they're describing a web of relationships and responsibilities that has existed for over 65,000 years.¹  _Fig. 2.1: Country encompasses land, water, sky, and all living things in an interconnected system of relationships and responsibilities._ ## What Country Includes Country has three dimensions that architects need to understand: ### The Physical The tangible elements you can see and touch: **lands** (geological features, soils, topography, landforms), **waters** (rivers, creeks, wetlands, groundwater, coastal areas), **plants** (native vegetation, significant species, seasonal patterns), **animals** (fauna, habitats, movement patterns), and **built places** (sites of cultural significance, meeting grounds, pathways). ### The Spiritual and Cultural Elements you can't see but which are equally real: **sacred sites** and Dreaming stories, **traditional knowledge** spanning ecological understanding and seasonal calendars, **language** preserved in place names, stories, songs, and oral traditions, **law** governing protocols and cultural obligations, and **kinship** systems connecting people to Country and each other. ### The Relational How everything connects. **Reciprocity** means people and Country have mutual obligations. **Custodianship** means caring for Country across generations. **Belonging** means people belong to Country, not the other way around. And **continuity** means Country shapes its people, and they shape it. --- ## Country Is Alive Country is alive in a literal sense, not metaphorical. Indigenous peoples understand Country as a living entity with its own agency, needs, and rights.² The table below shows how fundamentally different this worldview is from Western assumptions: | Concept | Western View | Indigenous View | | ------------------ | -------------------- | ------------------------------- | | **Land ownership** | Property to be owned | Country that owns us | | **Development** | Improving the land | Caring for Country | | **Resources** | Assets to exploit | Gifts requiring reciprocity | | **Time** | Linear progression | Cyclical, ongoing relationships | | **Nature** | Separate from humans | Interconnected with all life | ### What This Means for Design Architecture's role on living Country is different from its role on inert land. Buildings are part of an ongoing relationship that has been there for tens of thousands of years, not impositions on a passive landscape. The question is not "how do I minimise harm?" but "how does this project help Country thrive?" Success is measured by whether Country and its people benefit from what you've built — not just by client satisfaction or awards. This requires genuine consultation with Traditional Owners throughout your project, not just a tick-box at the start. --- ## Everything Connects Design decisions don't happen in isolation. They ripple across ecological, spiritual, and social systems in ways you might not anticipate.³ Think of Country as four interconnected systems: **Ecological** — Water flows, plant communities, animal habitats. Disturb one and you affect the others. **Cultural** — Stories, ceremonies, and practices tied to specific places. A site might look unremarkable but hold deep significance. **Social** — Community gathering, kinship, responsibilities. Your building affects how people relate to each other and to Country. **Temporal** — Past, present, and future connected through Country. What you build today becomes part of a story that stretches back millennia and forward to future generations. ### Before You Design Ask yourself: 1. What does this site mean to Country, not just to the client? 2. What relationships exist here between plants, animals, water, and people? 3. What stories belong to this place? 4. Who will be affected by what I build, and for how long? --- ## Every Country Is Different There's no single "Indigenous perspective" on Country. Australia has over 250 distinct language groups, each with unique relationships to their Country.⁴ > **View the diversity:** The AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia shows these 250+ language groups and their Country. View it directly on the AIATSIS website—we don't reproduce it here in keeping with ICIP protocols. > > **[View the AIATSIS Map](https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia)** ### Local Context Matters What works on Wurundjeri Country might be completely wrong on Gunditjmara Country. Coastal nations relate to Country differently than desert nations. Some knowledge is shared; some is secret. Some protocols are similar across groups; others are unique. **The implication:** You can't learn "Indigenous engagement" as a generic skill. You have to learn about the specific Country you're working on, from the specific people who belong to it. ### Avoid Assumptions Don't assume protocols from one community apply to another, and don't rely on generic resources when local knowledge is available. Accept that some knowledge isn't yours to know. Be prepared to be told "no" — and respect it. --- ## Country-Centred Design The shift required is from human-centred to Country-centred design.⁵  _Fig. 2.3: The NSW Government Architect's Connecting with Country Framework guides practitioners toward Country-centred design.⁵_ **Human-centred design** asks what the users need, how to optimise the human experience, and what the client's requirements are. **Country-centred design** asks what Country needs, how the project strengthens relationships with Country, what the consequences are for Country's health, and how the project gives back. This isn't about adding environmental or cultural considerations to your existing process. It's about putting Country first, then addressing human needs within that framework. --- ## Practical Steps ### Before Any Project 1. **Identify Traditional Owners** using the AIATSIS Map 2. **Check cultural heritage sensitivity** for the site 3. **Seek guidance** from local knowledge holders 4. **Listen to stories** of the place from those who know it 5. **Spend time on Country** to understand its rhythms ### Throughout Your Project - Return to Country regularly, not just at the start - Keep Traditional Owners informed and involved - Stay open to learning and changing your approach - Document how Country has influenced your design --- ## References ¹ Government Architect NSW. (2020). _Connecting with Country Draft Framework_. [https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-architect-nsw/policies-and-frameworks/connecting-with-country](https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-architect-nsw/policies-and-frameworks/connecting-with-country) ² Gammage, B. (2011). _The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia_. Allen & Unwin. ³ Parris, K.M. et al. (eds.). (2020). "Cities are Indigenous Places." In _Cities for People and Nature_. Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub. [https://nespurban.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Cities-for-People-and-Nature.pdf](https://nespurban.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Cities-for-People-and-Nature.pdf) ⁴ AIATSIS. _Map of Indigenous Australia_. [https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia](https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia) ⁵ Hromek, D. (Ed.). (2021). "Start with Country." _Architecture Australia_. [https://architectureau.com/articles/start-with-country/](https://architectureau.com/articles/start-with-country/) --- ## Next Steps Continue to **Chapter 3: Decolonising Architecture** to understand how colonial practices have shaped Australian architecture and how Indigenous-led approaches offer a different way forward.

# Supporting Indigenous-led Design > **NSCA 2021 alignment:** This chapter supports demonstration of PC 27 (First Nations Engagement in Design) — specifically the requirement to incorporate Indigenous perspectives by recognising that the highest engagement standard is Indigenous-led, not consultative. Australian architecture has a colonial problem. When Europeans arrived, they encountered a continent Indigenous peoples had carefully managed for 65,000 years: permanent and semi-permanent structures across diverse climates,¹ systematic land management through fire, water control, and cultivation,² and networks of pathways, gathering places, and seasonal camps forming complex settlement patterns. The colonisers ignored all of it. Terra Nullius — the legal fiction that Australia was "nobody's land" — justified dispossession. Indigenous-built environments were demolished, Indigenous architecture was erased from professional discourse, and for generations Australian architects have been trained in a tradition that pretends this knowledge never existed.³ ### A note on language Earlier drafts of this guide framed this chapter as "decolonising architecture." That framing implied a non-Indigenous practice could be the agent of decolonisation, which we don't think is honest. Decolonisation in Australian architecture is led by Indigenous practitioners, communities, and Traditional Owners. The most a non-Indigenous practice can do is shift its own work to **support and enable** that leadership — which is what this chapter is actually about. The retitle reflects the actual scope of the work.  _Fig. 3.1: "Small Embers of Change" - decolonising architecture requires acknowledging colonial histories and centring Indigenous leadership.⁴_ --- ## The Colonial Approach (And Why It's Still a Problem) Most architectural education and practice in Australia follows a colonial paradigm, whether we recognise it or not: | Characteristic | Colonial Paradigm | | -------------- | -------------------------------------- | | **Authority** | Designer as expert | | **Process** | Top-down, consultation after decisions | | **Knowledge** | Western technical knowledge privileged | | **Success** | Defined by client satisfaction, awards | | **Time** | Linear project with defined end | | **Place** | Generic solutions applied everywhere | ### This Approach Fails Indigenous Communities Projects designed without consulting Traditional Owners don't serve community needs. Western spatial concepts imposed on Indigenous communities cause harm, sacred sites get ignored, Indigenous intellectual property goes unrecognised, and "engagement" becomes a box to tick rather than a relationship to build. Architecture practised this way continues the work of colonisation, in different vocabulary. --- ## The Alternative: Indigenous-Led Design Indigenous-led architecture starts from the opposite assumptions to the colonial paradigm above: Indigenous leadership, Indigenous knowledge, and Indigenous decision-making sit at the centre of the project rather than at the margins.⁴  _Fig. 3.2: Linda Tuhiwai Smith, "Decolonizing Methodologies" — sets out a research framework that begins from Indigenous epistemology rather than treating Indigenous communities as subjects.³_ ### Three Levels of Engagement Not all "engagement" is equal. Know where you sit on this spectrum: **1. Consultation (Insufficient)** — You determine the approach, Indigenous peoples provide advice only, and decision-making stays with non-Indigenous parties. This doesn't meet NSCA 2021 requirements.⁵ **2. Collaboration (Better, but not enough)** — Authority is shared and partners work together. More equitable, but Indigenous voices can still be marginalised within shared structures. **3. Indigenous-Led Design (What to aim for)** — Indigenous peoples determine the approach. Non-Indigenous professionals support their leadership. Traditional Owners have final authority on their Country. This is required for any project on Country with Traditional Custodians. ### What Indigenous-Led Design Looks Like | Characteristic | Indigenous-Led Approach | | -------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | **Authority** | Traditional Owners and community lead | | **Process** | Bottom-up, community-driven | | **Knowledge** | Indigenous knowledge systems centred | | **Success** | Defined by community and Country outcomes | | **Time** | Ongoing relationships, not project endpoints | | **Place** | Specific, responsive to Country | --- ## Common Objections The objections most architects hear from colleagues are familiar: "we're building for everyone," "engagement is too slow and too expensive," "there's no one to consult," and "I'm not qualified." Each falls apart on examination. Generic designs that ignore cultural specificity serve nobody, including the Traditional Owners of the site. Engagement does cost time and money; if a project budget can't carry that cost, the project is asking the wrong question. Traditional Owners are still here, which is what the AIATSIS Map and Land Councils exist for. And no architect needs to be the expert on Country — the community is. The job is to support them. Practical guidance for engagement, design outcomes, and broader practice changes is covered in detail in Chapters 4–6 (process), 8–9 (design and precedents), and 10 (practice). Reconciliation Action Plans⁷ are covered in Chapter 6.  _Fig. 3.3: University of Sydney's "Indigenising the Built Environment" series explores how architecture can support Indigenous self-determination._ --- ## References ¹ Memmott, P. (2007). _Gunyah, Goondie + Wurley: The Aboriginal Architecture of Australia_. University of Queensland Press. ² Gammage, B. (2011). _The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia_. Allen & Unwin. ³ Smith, L.T. (2021). _Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples_ (3rd ed.). Zed Books. ⁴ Thwaites, M. (2023). "Small Embers of Change – Decolonising Architecture." _The Local Project_. [https://thelocalproject.com.au/articles/decolonising-architecture-issue-10-commercial-feature-the-local-project/](https://thelocalproject.com.au/articles/decolonising-architecture-issue-10-commercial-feature-the-local-project/) ⁵ Architects Accreditation Council of Australia. (2021). _National Standard of Competency for Architects_. [https://aaca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021-NSCA-Explanatory-Notes.pdf](https://aaca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021-NSCA-Explanatory-Notes.pdf) ⁶ Yoorrook Justice Commission. _Truth-telling for Victoria_. [https://yoorrook.org.au/](https://yoorrook.org.au/) ⁷ Reconciliation Australia. _Reconciliation Action Plans_. [https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/](https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/) --- ## Next Steps Continue to **Chapter 4: Engagement & Collaboration** for practical frameworks you can use to work with communities throughout your projects.

# Engagement & Collaboration > **NSCA 2021 alignment:** This chapter supports demonstration of PC 8 (First Nations Engagement Processes) and PC 27 (First Nations Engagement in Design) — the engagement spectrum, step-by-step process, and ICIP framework below are intended as evidence artefacts for both PCs. Engagement either builds relationships or it doesn't, and the difference between approaches that work and approaches that fail is whether they're set up to build relationships in the first place. This chapter gives you practical frameworks for building those relationships, conducting genuine engagement, and centring Indigenous voices throughout your projects.¹  _Fig. 4.1: The AIATSIS Code of Ethics provides foundational principles for ethical engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.¹_ ## The Engagement Spectrum Not all engagement is equal. Where you sit on this spectrum determines whether you're meeting ethical standards or just going through the motions.² ### Levels of Engagement | Level | Description | Indigenous Role | Decision Authority | | --------------- | --------------------- | ------------------------ | ------------------ | | **Inform** | One-way communication | Recipient of information | None | | **Consult** | Gather feedback | Advisor | Limited | | **Involve** | Work together | Partner | Shared | | **Collaborate** | Joint decision-making | Equal partner | Significant | | **Empower** | Indigenous-led | Leader | Full | ### Minimum Standard For projects on Indigenous Country, the minimum should be **Involve** or higher. Inform and Consult alone don't meet NSCA 2021 requirements.³ > **How This Connects to Chapter 3:** This five-level spectrum (based on IAP2) complements the three engagement modes in Chapter 3: Consultation, Collaboration, and Indigenous-Led Design. > > - **Inform/Consult** aligns with **Consultation** (insufficient) > - **Involve/Collaborate** aligns with **Collaboration** (better, but intermediate) > - **Empower** aligns with **Indigenous-Led Design** (what to aim for) > > Use this spectrum to assess your engagement level. Use Chapter 3's framework to understand the power dynamics underneath. --- ## Step-by-Step Engagement Process Treat each phase as **inputs -> actions -> outputs**. This keeps engagement practical, traceable, and easier to review with your team and community partners. ### Phase 1: Preparation (Before First Contact) **1. Identify Traditional Owners** — Use the AIATSIS Map to identify language groups.⁴ Research Registered Aboriginal Parties in Victoria and identify relevant Land Councils or community organisations. Boundaries can be contested between groups; check the relevant RAP register and, where there's overlap or active dispute, ask each group how they prefer to be approached rather than choosing between them. **2. Research the Site and Its History** — Review cultural heritage registers (ACHRIS in Victoria), research historical land use and displacement, understand the contemporary community context, and learn about significant sites or sensitivities. **3. Prepare Your Organisation** — Secure budget for engagement (fees, time, resources) and allocate an adequate timeline—months, not weeks. Identify who will lead engagement within your team and make sure leadership is committed to the process. **4. Develop Your Approach** — Draft an engagement plan to be reviewed with community. Prepare clear information about the project, identify what decisions you're seeking input on, and be clear about constraints and non-negotiables. **Outputs to document:** Draft engagement plan, stakeholder map, budget allocation, and decision log template. --- ### Phase 2: Initial Contact **1. Make Respectful Introduction** — Introduce yourself and your organisation. Explain why you're reaching out, ask about appropriate people to speak with, and be patient—responses may take time. **2. Listen First** — Ask about community priorities and concerns. Learn about cultural protocols for engagement and understand existing relationships and sensitivities. Don't rush to discuss your project. **3. Establish Relationship Framework** — Discuss how the community wants to be engaged. Agree on appropriate communication channels, identify key contacts and decision-makers, and discuss compensation and acknowledgment. **4. Share Project Information** — Provide clear, accessible project information. Be honest about scope, timeline, and constraints. Explain decision points and how input will be used, and ask what information the community needs from you. **Outputs to document:** Agreed communication protocol, named contacts, and confirmed engagement scope. --- ### Phase 3: Ongoing Engagement **1. Maintain Regular Communication** — Provide updates even when there's no specific ask. Be responsive to community questions and concerns, share design development as it progresses, and invite ongoing feedback—not just at milestones. **2. Centre Indigenous Input in Design** — Bring design options to community, not final decisions. Be prepared to change course based on feedback. Document how Indigenous input shapes design and credit Indigenous contributions appropriately. **3. Address Concerns Promptly** — Take concerns seriously and respond quickly. Be willing to pause if significant issues arise, escalate to leadership if needed, and document how concerns were addressed. **4. Build Relationships Beyond the Project** — Engagement shouldn't end when construction starts. Plan for post-occupancy connection, support ongoing community benefit, and maintain relationships for future projects. **Outputs to document:** Updated design rationale showing Indigenous input, issue-response register, and post-occupancy engagement commitments.  _Fig. 4.2: The Australian Institute of Architects First Nations Resource Hub provides architects with guidance, resources, and case studies._ --- ## Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) ICIP is the single area most likely to expose a non-Indigenous practice to harm — to clients, to communities, and to the practice itself. Treat this section as required reading, not an appendix. The framework here draws on Janke's foundational _Our Culture: Our Future_ (1998), AIATSIS protocols, and the AIA First Nations Advisory Committee's October 2025 guidance.⁵ ### What ICIP Covers ICIP encompasses all forms of Indigenous knowledge, cultural expressions, and heritage — including traditional knowledge and practices, cultural expressions (art, stories, songs, designs), languages and place names, sacred and secret material, and heritage documentation and recordings.⁵ ### ICIP Rights Indigenous communities have rights to recognition of ownership over their cultural heritage, authority to approve or refuse use of their ICIP, secrecy for sacred or restricted knowledge, attribution when ICIP is used, benefit-sharing from commercial use, and prevention of misuse or misrepresentation. ### Identifying ICIP holders early The single most common failure pattern is identifying ICIP holders too late — usually at documentation phase, when the design is already shaped. Build identification into the project's first weeks, not its last: 1. **Confirm Traditional Custodian groups for the site** via the AIATSIS Map plus the relevant state register (ACHRIS in Victoria, AHIMS in NSW, the Aboriginal Heritage Register in Tasmania). 2. **Ask which knowledge-holders speak for which knowledge** before any specific cultural reference enters the design. Country-stories, language, motifs, planting palettes, wayfinding — different elders, different families, different roles may hold each. 3. **Treat overlapping or contested boundaries as a process question, not a choice.** Ask each group how they prefer to be approached; don't pick a winner. 4. **Document who you've identified and who you haven't.** A blank in this register at design stage is a flag, not a gap to paper over. If you cannot identify the right ICIP holders within the project's engagement budget and timeline, the answer is to scope cultural references out of the design — not to proceed with vague attributions. ### Three risk-flag levels This guide and the tools that consume it use a three-tier risk-flag system to identify how a given design move touches ICIP: | Flag | When it applies | What it requires of the practitioner | | --- | --- | --- | | **None** | The strategy or detail has no Country-specific implications (e.g. "specify low-VOC finishes"). | Standard practice. No ICIP-specific protocol. | | **Amber** | The work touches Country in a way that benefits from engagement but doesn't require it (e.g. orienting outdoor spaces to facilitate cultural gathering). | Engagement is **encouraged**. Surface the choice to Traditional Custodians; their input enriches the work and may shift the brief. | | **Red** | The work is Country-led and **does not execute without Traditional Owner / RAP engagement** (e.g. cultural-burning-informed planting palettes; named cultural motifs; on-Country pathways and wayfinding; specific Country-stories embedded in built form). | Engagement is **required**. Do not specify, draw, or sign off without that engagement in place and credited. | The flag is set by the people who hold the knowledge — not by the architect, not by the practice. A non-Indigenous practice can recognise that a move is **likely** red-flagged and seek engagement; it cannot declare a move red, amber, or none on its own authority. ### What to do when permission is refused A Traditional Custodian or community may decline to grant permission for an ICIP use. This is the system working correctly, not a failure to overcome. Three rules: 1. **No is the answer.** Don't shop for a different community, "second opinion," or alternate elder. ICIP authority is community-specific; declining is not a starting position for negotiation. 2. **Don't substitute "generic Indigenous design" for the specific element you can't use.** This is a deeper appropriation than the original ask. If the brief required a cultural reference and the holders said no, the brief itself needs to change. 3. **Document the refusal as part of the project record** so future teams (yours or someone else's) don't repeat the ask. Note who declined, when, and on what basis (without recording the restricted content itself). If the project's funding or brief depends on a cultural reference that hasn't been authorised, the project has the wrong scope. Better to surface that early and re-scope than to ship with a misappropriated element. ### ICIP Protocols for Architects Seek permission before using any Indigenous cultural material. Provide attribution for all Indigenous contributions and negotiate benefit-sharing for commercial applications. Respect restrictions on sacred or secret knowledge, document agreements in writing, and return materials when requested. ### Common ICIP Risks in Architecture Watch out for using Indigenous patterns or motifs without permission, recording stories or knowledge without consent, incorporating sacred designs into public buildings, photographing or documenting without approval, and claiming ownership of Indigenous-influenced designs. ### Documentation, attribution, and ongoing custody ICIP rights don't end at handover. The project record continues to carry obligations: - **Attribution travels with the work.** A built outcome that draws on ICIP credits the ICIP holders in published material (drawings, project pages, awards submissions, photographs), not just in the design report nobody reads. - **Custody belongs to the community, not the project.** When recordings, drawings, or notes are made during engagement, agree at the start who holds them after the project closes. The default should be: copies returned to the community, originals at the community's discretion. - **Re-use requires re-consent.** Permission to use ICIP on one project does not extend to a different project, a different building, or a portfolio re-publication. If you want to use it again, ask again. - **Award and publicity submissions are not implicit consent.** Confirm before submitting; some communities prefer their contributions remain unattributed to specific knowledge-holders even when the work is celebrated. ### ICIP Resources For detailed guidance on ICIP protocols: **[AIATSIS Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Guide](https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/indigenous-cultural-and-intellectual-property)** **[Arts Law Centre ICIP Information Sheet](https://www.artslaw.com.au/information-sheet/indigenous-cultural-and-intellectual-property-icip/)**⁶ **[Terri Janke and Company](https://www.terrijanke.com.au/)** — Leading Indigenous law firm with ICIP resources Janke's foundational text is **_Our Culture: Our Future_** (1998), still the most-cited primary source on ICIP in Australian practice.⁸ --- ## Reciprocity and Benefit-Sharing ### The Principle of Reciprocity Engagement should never be extractive. Consider what your organisation offers in return:⁷ employment and training opportunities, procurement from Indigenous businesses, knowledge-sharing and capacity building, support for community initiatives, ongoing relationship beyond the project. ### Forms of Benefit-Sharing | Type | Examples | | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | **Economic** | Consulting fees, employment, procurement | | **Knowledge** | Training, skill development, documentation | | **Relationship** | Ongoing connection, mentorship, advocacy | | **Recognition** | Attribution, acknowledgment, celebration | | **Community** | Support for community priorities beyond project | --- ## Documentation and Agreements ### Engagement Plans Document your engagement approach: objectives and scope, stakeholders and contacts, timeline and milestones, budget allocation, decision-making processes, communication protocols. ### Formal Agreements Consider formal agreements for consulting arrangements and fees, ICIP use and attribution, benefit-sharing arrangements, and ongoing relationship commitments. ### Records and Accountability Maintain records of all engagement activities, decisions made and rationale, how Indigenous input influenced design, and commitments made and how they were met. --- ## References ¹ AIATSIS. (2020). _AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research_. [https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research](https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research) ² International Association for Public Participation (IAP2). _IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation_. [https://www.iap2.org/page/pillars](https://www.iap2.org/page/pillars) ³ Architects Accreditation Council of Australia. (2021). _National Standard of Competency for Architects_. AACA. ⁴ AIATSIS. _Map of Indigenous Australia_. [https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia](https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia) ⁵ AIATSIS. _Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)_. [https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/indigenous-cultural-and-intellectual-property](https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/indigenous-cultural-and-intellectual-property) ⁶ Arts Law Centre of Australia. _Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)_. [https://www.artslaw.com.au/information-sheet/indigenous-cultural-and-intellectual-property-icip/](https://www.artslaw.com.au/information-sheet/indigenous-cultural-and-intellectual-property-icip/) ⁷ Kimmerer, R.W. (2014). "Returning the Gift." _Minding Nature_, 7(2). [https://www.humansandnature.org/returning-the-gift](https://www.humansandnature.org/returning-the-gift) ⁸ Janke, T. (1998). _Our Culture: Our Future — Report on Australian Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights_. AIATSIS / Terri Janke and Company. --- ## Next Steps Continue to **Chapter 5: Cultural Protocols** for guidance on Acknowledgement of Country, Welcome to Country, and appropriate language and behaviour.

# Cultural Protocols > **NSCA 2021 alignment:** This chapter supports demonstration of PC 3 (Cultural context in design) and PC 8 (First Nations Engagement Processes) — specifically the cultural-protocol and respectful-language components of engagement. Cultural protocols are the established ways of behaving and communicating that show respect. Get them wrong and you undermine every other commitment you've made in this guide so far.¹  _Fig. 5.1: Welcome to Country ceremonies are performed exclusively by Traditional Owners. Acknowledgement of Country can be delivered by anyone._ ## Acknowledgement of Country ### What It Is An Acknowledgement of Country recognises the Traditional Owners of the land where an event or activity takes place. **Anyone can give an Acknowledgement of Country.**² ### When to Give One Give an Acknowledgement of Country at the beginning of meetings and events, on websites and in publications, in project documentation, at project milestones and openings, and when welcoming visitors to your workplace. Make it a consistent practice, not a special occasion thing. ### Elements of a Genuine Acknowledgement A thoughtful Acknowledgement includes **specific naming** of the Traditional Owner group(s), **recognition** of their continuing connection to Country, and **respect** for Elders past, present, and emerging. A personal or organisational commitment to reconciliation can be added; if you do add one, follow through on it. ### Example Acknowledgements **Basic:** > We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging. **Extended:** > We acknowledge that we are meeting on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, who have cared for this Country for over 65,000 years. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Sovereignty was never ceded. ### Making It Genuine Research the specific Traditional Owners for your location. Don't rely on generic phrases. Don't just read from a script—speak with actual feeling. Reflect on what the acknowledgement means to you and your practice. Most importantly, act consistently with what you acknowledge. An acknowledgement without corresponding action rings hollow. --- ## Welcome to Country ### What It Is A Welcome to Country is a formal ceremony performed by **Traditional Owners or their representatives** to welcome visitors to their Country. Only Traditional Owners can perform a Welcome to Country.³ ### When to Request One Request a Welcome to Country for project launches and openings, significant milestones, major events and conferences, and when beginning work on a new site. ### How to Arrange One 1. Contact the relevant Traditional Owner group or Land Council 2. Explain the event and its significance 3. Discuss appropriate format and timing 4. Agree on fees and logistics 5. Confirm arrangements well in advance ### During the Ceremony Stand in respect. Listen attentively. Follow any instructions given—if invited to participate in a smoking ceremony, do so. Afterward, thank the Elder personally. ### Fees and Compensation Welcome to Country ceremonies should be compensated. Typical arrangements include consulting fees for the Elder's time, travel and accommodation costs, administrative fees to the organisation, and a gift or donation to the community.  _Fig. 5.2: Reconciliation Australia's Narragunnawali program provides resources for using respectful and inclusive language.⁴_ --- ## Appropriate Language ### Terminology Use respectful, current terminology:⁴ | Preferred | Avoid | | --------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples | Aborigines | | First Nations peoples | Natives | | Indigenous Australians (context-dependent) | Aboriginals | | Traditional Owners / Traditional Custodians | Tribes | | Elders | Chiefs | | Country | Land (when referring to cultural connection) | | Communities | Villages | ### Key Terms to Understand **Country** — The lands, waters, and all living things that Indigenous peoples are connected to. More than just the physical environment. **Traditional Owners / Traditional Custodians** — Indigenous peoples who have cultural authority for a particular area of Country. **Elders** — Senior community members who hold cultural knowledge and authority. Referred to with titles such as Uncle or Aunty. **Custodianship** — The responsibility to care for Country, which comes with being a Traditional Owner. **Dreaming / Dreamtime** — Complex spiritual and cultural concepts. Be cautious using these terms; they mean different things to different groups. ### Language to Avoid Avoid possessive language like "Our Aboriginal people" or "Australia's Indigenous heritage." Don't use past tense—"The Aboriginal people who lived here" implies they no longer do. Don't homogenise—"The Aboriginal culture" ignores the diversity of over 250 distinct cultures. Avoid deficit framing that focuses only on problems. And stay away from romanticising tropes like "mystical connection to the land." ### Language about CLAD's own work (and yours) This is the protocol-sensitive part. The terms below carry different meanings depending on whether you (or your practice) are claiming them as your approach versus describing First Nations methodology in the third person. Get this distinction wrong and the rest of your engagement work reads as appropriation.⁶ | Term | Use in your practice? | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | **Connecting with Country** | When describing the engagement process (only) | Allowed by AIA-FNAC for non-Indigenous practitioners | | **Country-centred design** | When describing First Nations methodology in the third person — never as your own approach | "Country-centred design is owned by Indigenous peoples, and embodied through Indigenous designers" (AIA-FNAC 2025) | | **Culturally responsive design** | When describing your approach | Allowed by NSCA 2021 | | **Design with respect for Country** | When describing your approach | Allowed | | **Designing with Country** | **No** — this is First Nations-led work | "To be able to Design with Country you must be of Country" (Hromek 2025) | | **Caring for Country** | **Only with permission from the Aboriginal people you are working with** | ICIP per GANSW 2023 §2.3. Quote it verbatim when citing a framework that uses it (e.g. NSCA PC 17) — don't adopt it as your own positioning. | This guide follows the same rule for its own copy. If you spot us slipping, [tell us](#suggest-a-correction). ### Language and words that require permission Some words and names belong to specific communities and require explicit permission before use in client-facing or published work: - **palawa kani** — the revived Tasmanian Aboriginal language. The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre asserts copyright; place names and words require **written permission**.⁷ - **Specific Country names** (e.g. Bidjigal Country, Boonwurrung Country) — usually fine to use when sourced from public registries (AIATSIS Map, AHC) but never invented attributions. - **Specific Country-stories** or song-cycle references — require **Traditional Owner permission**. Don't embed in published material without it. --- ## Meeting and Communication Protocols ### Initial Meetings Take time for introductions and relationship-building before rushing to business. Listen more than you speak. Be patient with silence—it may be part of the communication style. If meeting with Elders, bring appropriate gifts (ask what's appropriate beforehand). Follow the community's lead on structure and pace. ### Ongoing Communication Be consistent—don't disappear between meetings. Follow through on every commitment, no matter how small. Be accessible by providing multiple contact options. Respect communication preferences—some prefer phone calls to email. Allow adequate time for community processes. ### Meeting Locations Meet on Country when possible and when invited. Respect community spaces by asking before photographing or recording. Follow any protocols for entering community buildings or areas. Be aware that some spaces may be gendered or restricted. --- ## Working with Elders ### Showing Respect Use titles such as Uncle and Aunty when introduced to Elders. Listen attentively when they speak. Don't interrupt or rush conversations. Ask permission before taking photos. Always thank Elders for their time and knowledge. ### Elder Authority Elders have cultural authority that must be respected. Their decisions often reflect community consensus built over time. Some knowledge can only be shared by particular Elders. They may need time to consult with others before responding to your questions. ### Compensation for Elder Time Elder consultation should always be compensated fairly. Discuss appropriate rates with the community organisation. Cover all travel and accommodation costs. Provide refreshments and ensure comfort during meetings. --- ## Gender Protocols ### Understanding Gender in Indigenous Cultures Some Indigenous cultural knowledge and practices are gender-specific:⁵ - **Men's business** — Knowledge and ceremonies for men only - **Women's business** — Knowledge and ceremonies for women only - **Mixed / Open business** — Knowledge that can be shared with everyone ### Practical Implications Some meetings may need to be gender-specific, and some knowledge may only be shared with same-gender researchers. Some sites may have gender restrictions. Always ask about gender protocols before arranging meetings. ### Approaching Gender Sensitively Ask about protocols rather than assuming, and ensure your team has appropriate gender diversity for engagement. Respect that some knowledge won't be shared with you, and don't push for information that is restricted. --- ## Protocols for Documentation ### Photographs and Video Always ask permission before taking photos or video. Clarify usage—who will see it and how it will be used. Provide copies to community. Respect requests to delete or not publish. Be aware that some images may become culturally sensitive if a person passes away. ### Recording Conversations Ask permission before recording. Explain why you want to record. Offer transcripts or copies to participants. Clarify ownership of recordings. Store securely and respect access restrictions. ### Written Documentation Share drafts with community before publishing. Respect requests to remove or modify content. Provide proper attribution for Indigenous contributions. Consider restrictions on distribution. --- ## Handling Mistakes You will make them. The mistakes most architects make are using outdated language, assuming one community speaks for all, allowing too little time for community processes, missing commitments, and sharing information that should have been restricted. The response that works is the same in any context: acknowledge the mistake to the affected person, apologise without excuses, ask what would help, and change your practice. Trust returns at its own pace through consistent action over months — not through apology alone. ### Structural mistakes are different The mistakes above are interpersonal — wrong word at the wrong moment, missed call, sloppy attribution. Recover, apologise, do better. But there is another class of mistake that no apology repairs because the apology comes too late: - **Designing a project on Country without an Indigenous-led process when one was required** (Charter principle 1, NSCA PC 27) - **Using Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property without consent or attribution** (Charter principle 6; Janke 1998) - **Specifying a red-gated cultural element** — cultural-burning-informed planting, on-Country wayfinding, named cultural motifs — **without Traditional Owner / RAP engagement** (this guide calls these out individually in Chapter 6) - **Publishing or attributing Country-stories, song-cycle references, or restricted language without permission** These mistakes can't be undone with a follow-up email. The work has shipped, the harm has landed, and "we'll engage next time" doesn't make the current building or document right. If you're approaching one of these, **stop and engage before you specify, not after**. If you've already shipped one, the work is to (a) name what happened publicly, (b) consult the affected community on what restitution looks like (it's not your decision), and (c) take whatever the community asks for as the baseline, not the ceiling. This guide is offered as a working draft pending First Nations advisor review. If we describe a process that would lead a practitioner into one of these structural mistakes, that's a defect in the guide — please [tell us](#suggest-a-correction) so it can be corrected before more readers act on it. --- ## References ¹ Reconciliation Australia. _Reconciliation in Action_. [https://www.reconciliation.org.au/](https://www.reconciliation.org.au/) ² Reconciliation Australia. "Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country." [https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation/acknowledgement-of-country-and-welcome-to-country/](https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation/acknowledgement-of-country-and-welcome-to-country/) ³ Common Ground. "Welcome to Country & Acknowledgement of Country." [https://www.commonground.org.au/article/welcome-to-country-acknowledgement-of-country](https://www.commonground.org.au/article/welcome-to-country-acknowledgement-of-country) ⁴ Reconciliation Australia. "A Guide to Using Respectful and Inclusive Language and Terminology." [https://www.reconciliation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/inclusive-language-guide.pdf](https://www.reconciliation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/inclusive-language-guide.pdf) ⁵ AIATSIS. _AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research_. [https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research](https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research) ⁶ AIA First Nations Advisory Committee with Danièle Hromek (2025). _Terms, Concepts and Shared Understandings_. Australian Institute of Architects. ⁷ Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre. _palawa kani language program_. [https://tacinc.com.au/programs/palawa-kani/](https://tacinc.com.au/programs/palawa-kani/) --- ## Next Steps Continue to **Chapter 6: Professional Standards** to understand the formal regulatory frameworks and competency requirements for Indigenous engagement in architectural practice.

# Professional Standards > **NSCA 2021 alignment:** This chapter **is** the alignment chapter — it explains PC 8, PC 17, and PC 27 directly, with their explanatory notes and related PCs (3, 26, 29, 30, 34). Use this chapter as evidence-of-knowledge of the standards themselves. Indigenous engagement isn't optional. Since 2021, it's a professional requirement for every registered architect in Australia.¹ This chapter outlines the regulatory frameworks and competency standards you need to know.  _Fig. 6.1: The National Standard of Competency for Architects (NSCA 2021) establishes Indigenous engagement as a mandatory professional competency.¹_ ## National Standard of Competency for Architects (NSCA 2021) ### Overview The National Standard of Competency for Architects (NSCA) sets out what you need to demonstrate to be registered as an architect in Australia. The 2021 version introduced explicit requirements for Indigenous engagement knowledge and skills.² ### Relevant Performance Criteria **PC 8 — First Nations Engagement Processes** You must demonstrate knowledge of appropriate engagement processes with First Nations peoples, cultural protocols and requirements, Traditional Owner identification processes, and community consultation methodologies. **PC 17 — Caring for Country** You must understand Indigenous concepts of Country and custodianship, sustainable design principles informed by Indigenous knowledge, and land management practices and their relevance to design. > _Note on language:_ "Caring for Country" is the official title of NSCA Performance Criterion 17 and is used verbatim here as a citation. The phrase itself is Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property and "should be used by project teams only with permission from the Aboriginal people they are working with" (GANSW 2023). Outside the NSCA reference, this guide uses "design with respect for Country" or "culturally-responsive design" for CLAD's own positioning. **PC 27 — First Nations Engagement in Design** You must be able to incorporate Indigenous perspectives in design processes, engage appropriately with Traditional Owners and communities, respect and respond to cultural requirements, and document Indigenous engagement appropriately. ### Related Performance Criteria | PC | Relevance | | ----- | ---------------------------------------- | | PC 3 | Cultural context in design | | PC 26 | Stakeholder engagement | | PC 29 | Community consultation | | PC 30 | Site analysis including cultural factors | | PC 34 | Documentation of engagement processes | ### What This Means for Practice Meeting NSCA requirements means Indigenous engagement is **mandatory**, not optional. Competency must be **demonstrated**, not just claimed. **Continuing professional development** should include Indigenous engagement. **Documentation** of engagement processes is required. --- ## Australian Indigenous Design Charter ### Overview The Australian Indigenous Design Charter provides 10 principles for ethical design practice involving Indigenous knowledge, imagery, and cultural elements. It was developed by Indigenous designers and communities.³  _Fig. 6.2: The Australian Indigenous Design Charter was developed by Indigenous designers and communities to guide ethical design practice.³_ ### The 10 Principles **1. Indigenous-led** — Indigenous peoples should lead and retain ownership of their creative and cultural property. **2. Community Specific** — Design should reflect the specific community and Country, not generic "Indigenous" elements. **3. Communication** — Open and clear communication throughout the design process. **4. Interpretation** — Indigenous communities should determine how their culture is interpreted and represented. **5. Cultural Knowledge** — Indigenous cultural knowledge should be valued and protected. **6. Intellectual and Cultural Property** — Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) must be respected and protected. **7. National but not Generic** — Acknowledge diversity; avoid homogenising Indigenous cultures. **8. Legal and Moral** — Comply with legal requirements and moral obligations regarding Indigenous heritage. **9. Reconciliation Action Plans** — Organisations should develop and implement RAPs. **10. Self-Determined** — Support Indigenous self-determination in all aspects of design. ### Applying the Charter Before using Indigenous design elements, ask: Is this Indigenous-led? Does it reflect the specific community? Have I communicated clearly throughout? Am I respecting ICIP? Does my organisation have a RAP? **[Read the Full Design Charter](https://indigenousdesigncharter.com.au/australian-indigenous-design-charter/)** --- ## Connecting with Country Framework > **Tasmania (lutruwita) caveat** > > The NSW Connecting with Country Framework is, by its own authors' admission, "informed largely by the experiences and knowledges of people who work on, and are from, Countries in and around the Sydney basin" (GANSW 2023). It **does not transpose to lutruwita**. > > No Tasmanian-specific Country-centred design framework currently exists. For projects in lutruwita the principal community body is the **Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC)**, and the statutory framework is the _Aboriginal Relics Act 1975_ (Tas) — older and weaker than Victoria's and does **not** establish Registered Aboriginal Parties. > > Cultural sensitivity is higher when statutory protection is weaker. Treat any framework on this page that originates from NSW or Victorian sources as a reference point, not a template, when working on lutruwita. ### NSW Government Architect Framework The NSW Government Architect's _Connecting with Country_ framework provides detailed guidance for government projects in NSW. Its principles can inform practice in other jurisdictions, but as the caveat above notes, the framework explicitly self-limits to Countries in and around the Sydney basin — apply with care outside that context.⁴  _Fig. 6.3: The NSW Government Architect's Connecting with Country Framework guides practitioners toward Country-centred design.⁴_ ### Key Elements **Draft Framework (2020)** — Recognition of Country as a living entity. Five interconnected principles for engagement. Guidance on design processes and outcomes. Tools for different project stages. **Pathways (2023)** — Updated practical guidance. Case studies and examples. Design translation methods. Assessment approaches. ### Core Principles 1. **Prioritise Country** — Country must come first in decision-making 2. **Connect to Country** — Design should strengthen connections to Country 3. **Care for Country** — Projects should benefit Country's health 4. **Share Country** — Design should enable sharing of culture 5. **Learn from Country** — Indigenous knowledge should inform design --- ## Architects Registration Requirements ### State and Territory Registration Each state and territory has an Architects Registration Board that maintains the register of architects, sets continuing professional development (CPD) requirements, investigates complaints and enforces standards, and recognises competencies including Indigenous engagement. ### CPD Requirements Check with your state registration board about required CPD hours, whether Indigenous engagement CPD is mandated, available Indigenous engagement CPD programs, and documentation requirements. ### Registration Boards | State/Territory | Registration Authority | | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | **VIC** | Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV) | | **NSW** | NSW Architects Registration Board | | **QLD** | Board of Architects of Queensland | | **SA** | Architects Board of South Australia | | **WA** | Architects Board of Western Australia | | **TAS** | Board of Architects of Tasmania | | **ACT** | ACT Architects Board | | **NT** | Architects Board of the NT | --- ## Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) ### What They Are A Reconciliation Action Plan is a formal statement of commitment to reconciliation, developed with Reconciliation Australia. RAPs provide a framework for organisations to support the national reconciliation movement.⁵ ### RAP Types | Type | Purpose | Requirements | | ------------ | ---------------------------- | ----------------------- | | **Reflect** | Begin reconciliation work | Foundation actions | | **Innovate** | Develop ambitious actions | Measurable targets | | **Stretch** | Leadership in reconciliation | Significant commitments | | **Elevate** | Transform reconciliation | Strategic leadership | ### Benefits for Practices RAPs demonstrate commitment to Indigenous engagement. They provide structured approach to improvement. They build relationships with Indigenous communities. They may be required for government projects. They support staff development and culture change. ### Developing a RAP 1. Visit Reconciliation Australia website 2. Review RAP types and requirements 3. Establish internal working group 4. Consult with Indigenous communities 5. Draft and submit RAP for approval 6. Implement and report on progress **[Reconciliation Australia](https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/)** --- ## Cultural Heritage Legislation ### National Legislation **Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 (Cth)**⁶ This Act protects significant Indigenous areas and objects, allows for emergency declarations to protect heritage, and gives the Federal Minister power to intervene in state processes. **Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth)** This Act protects matters of national environmental significance, includes National Heritage places with Indigenous values, and requires assessment of impacts on Indigenous heritage. ### State and Territory Legislation Each state and territory has its own cultural heritage legislation. Key Victorian legislation is covered in Chapter 7. General principles include register of significant sites, referral and assessment processes, approval requirements for works, and penalties for damage to heritage. ### Compliance Requirements For most projects, you must: 1. **Search** cultural heritage registers 2. **Assess** potential impacts on heritage 3. **Consult** with relevant Indigenous parties 4. **Obtain approvals** where required 5. **Implement** management plans and conditions 6. **Report** on compliance --- ## Professional Body Guidelines ### Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) The AIA provides guidance and resources on Indigenous engagement:⁷ position statements on Indigenous architecture, CPD programs and events, First Nations Committee activities, and awards recognising Indigenous engagement. ### State Chapters AIA state chapters may offer local CPD opportunities, networking with Indigenous practitioners, project guidance and support, and policy advocacy. --- ## Documentation Requirements ### What to Document For compliance and good practice, document your **engagement process** (who was consulted, when, and how), **Indigenous input** (how Indigenous perspectives influenced design), **decisions made** (what was agreed and why), **ICIP agreements** (permissions and attribution arrangements), and **outcomes** (how the project benefits Indigenous communities). ### Documentation Forms Keep meeting minutes and attendance records, and save correspondence (emails, letters). Prepare engagement plans and reports, execute formal agreements (consulting, ICIP), maintain design documentation showing Indigenous input, and complete post-occupancy evaluation. ### Retention and Access Store documentation securely and provide access to Indigenous partners as agreed. Retain for the required period (check professional indemnity requirements) and be prepared to provide to registration boards if requested. --- ## References ¹ Architects Accreditation Council of Australia. (2021). _National Standard of Competency for Architects_. [https://aaca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021-NSCA-Explanatory-Notes.pdf](https://aaca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021-NSCA-Explanatory-Notes.pdf) ² University of Sydney. "Indigenising the Built Environment in Australia." [https://www.sydney.edu.au/architecture/our-research/research-projects/indigenising-the-built-environment-in-australia.html](https://www.sydney.edu.au/architecture/our-research/research-projects/indigenising-the-built-environment-in-australia.html) ³ Indigenous Design Charter. _Australian Indigenous Design Charter_. [https://indigenousdesigncharter.com.au/australian-indigenous-design-charter/](https://indigenousdesigncharter.com.au/australian-indigenous-design-charter/) ⁴ Government Architect NSW. (2020). _Connecting with Country Draft Framework_. [https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-architect-nsw/policies-and-frameworks/connecting-with-country](https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-architect-nsw/policies-and-frameworks/connecting-with-country) ⁵ Reconciliation Australia. _Reconciliation Action Plans_. [https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/](https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/) ⁶ Australian Government. _Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984_. [https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016C00937](https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016C00937) ⁷ Australian Institute of Architects. _First Nations Resource Hub_. [https://www.architecture.com.au/first-nations](https://www.architecture.com.au/first-nations) --- ## Next Steps Continue to **Chapter 7: Victorian Context** for state-specific guidance on cultural heritage legislation, Registered Aboriginal Parties, and Victorian regulatory requirements.

# Victorian Context > **This chapter is Victoria-specific.** The statutory regime, Registered Aboriginal Parties, and ACHRIS portal described below apply in Victoria only. For other jurisdictions, the equivalent statutory bodies and processes are different: > > | Jurisdiction | Statutory body | Heritage register | > |---|---|---| > | NSW | Local Aboriginal Land Councils + OEH | AHIMS | > | Qld | DSDSATSIP | Queensland register under _Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003_ | > | SA | DPC Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation | SA Aboriginal Heritage Register | > | WA | Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage | WA Aboriginal Heritage Inquiry System | > | NT | Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority | NT Sacred Site Register | > | ACT | ACT Heritage Council | ACT Heritage Register | > | **Tasmania (lutruwita)** | **Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania + Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC)** | **Aboriginal Heritage Register under _Aboriginal Relics Act 1975_** | > > See the lutruwita caveat below before applying any Victorian process to a Tasmanian project — the frameworks are not interchangeable. > **NSCA 2021 alignment:** This chapter supports demonstration of PC 8 and PC 27 in the Victorian jurisdiction (and the Beyond Victoria section below extends that to NSW / Qld / SA / WA / NT / ACT / Tas). Cultural Heritage Management Plans, ACHRIS, and RAP engagement are the operational evidence artefacts for Victoria-based projects. If you work in Victoria, you need to understand the state-specific regulatory framework. Victoria has one of Australia's most developed systems for Aboriginal cultural heritage management.¹ > **Tasmania (lutruwita) caveat** > > Victorian frameworks — the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, the Registered Aboriginal Party system, Cultural Heritage Management Plans — **do not transpose to lutruwita**. The Tasmanian statutory framework is the _Aboriginal Relics Act 1975_ (Tas), which is older, weaker, and does not establish RAPs. The principal community body is the **Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC)**. > > No Tasmanian-specific Country-centred design framework currently exists. For lutruwita projects, treat this chapter as a Victorian reference point only and engage Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania and TAC directly. Cultural sensitivity is higher when statutory protection is weaker.  _Fig. 7.1: The Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 is Victoria's primary legislation for protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage.¹_ ## Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Vic) ### Overview The Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 is Victoria's primary legislation for protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage. It establishes the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council, the Registered Aboriginal Party system, Cultural Heritage Management Plans, and permit requirements and penalties. ### Key Principles The Act is based on these principles: Aboriginal people are the primary custodians of Aboriginal cultural heritage. Heritage should be managed in a way that protects it. Aboriginal people should have a role in decision-making. Heritage management should be transparent. ### What the Act Protects The Act protects **Aboriginal places** (locations of significance), **Aboriginal objects** (items of cultural significance), **ancestral remains** (human remains of Aboriginal people), and **secret or sacred objects** (items of particular cultural sensitivity). --- ## Cultural Heritage Sensitivity ### Areas of Cultural Heritage Sensitivity The Act designates certain areas as having cultural heritage sensitivity:² - Registered Aboriginal places on the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register - Within 200m of named waterways (rivers, creeks, etc.) - Within 200m of the coastline - Sand dunes - Certain registered landforms - Areas identified by the Secretary ### ACHRIS — Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Register and Information System ACHRIS is Victoria's online system for checking cultural heritage sensitivity.  _Fig. 7.2: ACHRIS is Victoria's online portal for checking cultural heritage sensitivity before any project commences.²_ **What ACHRIS shows:** Registered Aboriginal places and objects. Areas of cultural heritage sensitivity. Registered Aboriginal Party boundaries. Cultural Heritage Management Plan requirements. **Before any project:** 1. Check ACHRIS for your site 2. Identify if the site is in an area of sensitivity 3. Determine if a Cultural Heritage Management Plan is required 4. Identify the relevant Registered Aboriginal Party **[Access ACHRIS](https://achris.vic.gov.au/)** --- ## Registered Aboriginal Parties ### What They Are > **Note on Terminology:** In this chapter, "Registered Aboriginal Party" refers to Victorian cultural heritage bodies established under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006. This is different from "Reconciliation Action Plans" (also abbreviated RAP) discussed in Chapter 6. To avoid confusion, this chapter spells out "Registered Aboriginal Party" in full. A Registered Aboriginal Party is an Aboriginal organisation registered by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council as the primary source of advice on protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage in a specified area.³ ### What They Do Registered Aboriginal Parties evaluate Cultural Heritage Management Plans, comment on permit applications, manage cultural heritage within their area, provide advice on heritage matters, and negotiate Cultural Heritage Agreements. ### Current Victorian Registered Aboriginal Parties As of 2024, Victoria has the following Registered Aboriginal Parties: | Organisation | Region | | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | **Barengi Gadjin Land Council** | Wimmera | | **Bunurong Land Council** | South-eastern Melbourne, Westernport | | **Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation** | Central Victoria | | **Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation** | South-west Victoria | | **First People of the Millewa-Mallee** | North-west Victoria | | **Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation** | Gippsland | | **Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation** | Western Victoria | | **Taungurung Land and Waters Council** | North-central Victoria | | **Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation** | Geelong region | | **Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation** | Greater Melbourne | | **Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation** | Murray River region |  _Fig. 7.3: Map showing the boundaries of Victoria's Registered Aboriginal Parties.³_ ### Finding Your Registered Aboriginal Party Check ACHRIS for Registered Aboriginal Party boundaries. Note that some areas have no Registered Aboriginal Party—contact First Peoples-State Relations in those cases. Where boundaries overlap, consult with all relevant Registered Aboriginal Parties. Contact the relevant Registered Aboriginal Party early in project planning. --- ## Cultural Heritage Management Plans (CHMPs) ### When Is a CHMP Required? A CHMP is **mandatory** when:⁴ 1. All or part of the activity is in an area of cultural heritage sensitivity, **AND** 2. All or part of the activity is a high impact activity, **AND** 3. An EES (Environment Effects Statement) is not required Record this check in writing at project start so your team can verify assumptions before concept design is locked. ### High Impact Activities High impact activities include most construction and development: buildings and structures (certain thresholds), subdivision of land, road construction, excavation and soil disturbance, mining and extractive activities. ### CHMP Process **Desktop Assessment (Standard)** — Engage a Heritage Advisor. Research existing information. Assess likelihood of Aboriginal places. Document findings. **Standard Assessment (if required)** — Field survey of the site. Consultation with Registered Aboriginal Party. Assessment of surface conditions. Recommendations for management. **Complex Assessment (if required)** — Subsurface testing. Detailed archaeological investigation. Extensive Registered Aboriginal Party consultation. Comprehensive management conditions. ### CHMP Approval CHMPs must be approved by the relevant Registered Aboriginal Party (if one exists), or the Secretary (if no Registered Aboriginal Party exists). ### CHMP Costs and Timing | Assessment context | Indicative cost | Indicative timing | Typical delay risks | | ------------------ | --------------- | ----------------- | ------------------- | | Desktop / lower complexity | $10,000–$30,000 | 2–4 months | Late data gathering, late advisor appointment | | Standard assessment | $30,000–$60,000 | 4–8 months | Site access delays, coordination gaps | | Complex assessment | $60,000–$100,000+ | 8–12+ months | Extensive testing, unresolved scope, late consultation | **Plan early:** CHMP approval must be obtained before works commence. --- ## Cultural Heritage Permits ### When Is a Permit Required? A Cultural Heritage Permit is required to disturb or excavate a registered Aboriginal place, damage or destroy an Aboriginal place, and possess, sell, or remove certain Aboriginal objects. Use permits and CHMPs as separate pathways: CHMPs manage broader project activities; permits apply to specific protected place or object impacts. ### Permit Process 1. Apply to the Secretary (First Peoples-State Relations) 2. Consult with relevant Registered Aboriginal Party 3. Provide detailed information about proposed activities 4. Receive determination ### Emergency Permits Emergency permits may be available for urgent situations but should not be relied upon for project planning. --- ## Stop Orders and Penalties ### Stop Orders The Minister can issue a stop order to stop an activity harming Aboriginal cultural heritage, require rehabilitation of damaged heritage, and prohibit activities in specified areas. ### Penalties Serious penalties apply for: - **Harming Aboriginal cultural heritage:** Up to $1.8 million for corporations - **Failure to comply with CHMP conditions:** Significant fines - **Contravening a stop order:** Criminal penalties possible --- ## First Peoples-State Relations (FPSR) ### Role of FPSR First Peoples-State Relations is the Victorian Government department responsible for administering the Aboriginal Heritage Act, maintaining ACHRIS, supporting the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council, and processing permits and providing advice. ### When to Contact FPSR Contact FPSR when no Registered Aboriginal Party exists for your area, you have questions about legislative requirements, you need advice on cultural heritage processes, or there are disputes or issues with CHMP processes. **[First Peoples-State Relations](https://www.firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au/)** --- ## Victorian Government Policies ### Advancing the Treaty Process Victoria is advancing treaty negotiations with Aboriginal Victorians through the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, Yoorrook Justice Commission truth-telling, and Treaty negotiations.⁵ Be aware of how treaty outcomes may affect engagement requirements.  _Fig. 7.4: The First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria is the democratically elected body representing Aboriginal Victorians in treaty negotiations.⁵_ ### Aboriginal Procurement The Victorian Government has targets for procurement from Aboriginal businesses, Aboriginal employment, and engagement on government projects. These may affect tender requirements for government projects. ### Aboriginal Self-Determination Victoria has committed to Aboriginal self-determination across government. This means Aboriginal communities leading decisions about their affairs, greater Aboriginal authority in service delivery, and increased Aboriginal representation in government. --- ## Practical Checklist for Victorian Projects Use the checklist below as your minimum compliance baseline. Mark mandatory items in your project controls and keep evidence for each completed action. ### Before Project Commencement - [ ] Check ACHRIS for cultural heritage sensitivity - [ ] Identify the relevant Registered Aboriginal Party - [ ] Determine if a CHMP is required - [ ] Budget for cultural heritage assessment - [ ] Allow adequate time in project schedule ### During CHMP Process - [ ] Engage an approved Heritage Advisor - [ ] Notify the relevant Registered Aboriginal Party - [ ] Conduct required assessments - [ ] Consult appropriately with Traditional Owners - [ ] Prepare and submit CHMP for approval ### During Construction - [ ] Implement CHMP conditions - [ ] Brief all contractors on heritage requirements - [ ] Establish protocols for unexpected finds - [ ] Monitor compliance with conditions - [ ] Report as required ### Project Completion - [ ] Complete any required reporting - [ ] Return documentation to Registered Aboriginal Party as agreed - [ ] Maintain ongoing relationships - [ ] Document lessons learned --- ## Beyond Victoria — other jurisdictions The rest of this chapter has been Victoria-specific because Victoria's statutory framework is the most developed in the country and most of CLAD's work sits there. But the moment you cross a state border, the rules change. The reference table at the top of this chapter is the navigation index; the sub-sections below are the per-jurisdiction landing pages. Treat each as a starting point, not a complete guide. Each jurisdiction's authority body publishes its own guidance, and a project in (e.g.) NSW needs an NSW Aboriginal Heritage assessment specialist, not a Victorian one. ### New South Wales - **Statutory framework:** _National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974_ (NSW) §§86–90; _Heritage Act 1977_ (NSW) for non-Aboriginal heritage. Reform legislation has been in development for years; check current status. - **Heritage register:** **Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS)**, maintained by Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW NSW). - **Community bodies:** **Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs)** — over 120 across the state, structured under the _Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983_ (NSW). LALCs are the primary community contact for most projects. - **Frameworks:** **GANSW Connecting with Country Framework (2023)** — applies to NSW Government projects formally and informs much of private practice. Self-limited to "Countries in and around the Sydney basin" per its authors — see the Tasmania caveat above before transposing. - **Practitioner note:** No equivalent of Victoria's Registered Aboriginal Party system. Engagement is via LALCs plus, often, specific Traditional Owner family groups. Confirm both. ### Queensland - **Statutory framework:** _Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003_ (Qld) and _Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Act 2003_ (Qld). Duty of care is statutory: project proponents have an ongoing obligation to take reasonable measures to avoid harm. - **Heritage register:** Maintained by the **Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DSDSATSIP)**. - **Community bodies:** **Aboriginal Parties** as identified under the Act — these are the primary cultural-heritage consultation bodies. Cultural Heritage Studies / Cultural Heritage Management Plans are the operational instruments. - **Practitioner note:** Queensland's "Aboriginal Parties" are statutory entities similar in role to Victorian RAPs but identified under a different framework. The duty-of-care provisions can be more demanding than appears at first reading — engage a Queensland-based cultural heritage specialist early. ### South Australia - **Statutory framework:** _Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988_ (SA). - **Heritage register:** Central Archive maintained by the **Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation**. - **Community bodies:** Numerous Native Title holder groups; **South Australian Native Title Services (SANTS)** is a central body for many. Consultation is via Recognised Aboriginal Representative Bodies for specific areas. - **Practitioner note:** SA legislation is older than Victoria's and the protection framework is less prescriptive — that does not lower the cultural responsibility, it raises it. ### Western Australia - **Statutory framework:** _Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972_ (WA), with the _Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021_ (WA) having been passed and then largely repealed in 2023 amid significant controversy. The 1972 Act remains the operative framework as of writing — confirm current status. - **Heritage register:** **Aboriginal Heritage Inquiry System (AHIS)**, Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage. - **Community bodies:** **Native Title Representative Bodies** including the **South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC)**, **Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation**, **Kimberley Land Council** and others depending on region. - **Practitioner note:** WA has a particularly active and contested heritage policy environment following events at Juukan Gorge (2020). Standards of practice expected by communities now significantly exceed the statutory minimum. Treat the legislation as a floor, not a ceiling. ### Northern Territory - **Statutory framework:** _Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976_ (Cth) and _Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act 1989_ (NT). A substantial portion of NT land is Aboriginal-owned freehold under the Land Rights Act. - **Heritage / sacred sites authority:** **Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA)** — administers the Sacred Sites Act, issues Authority Certificates for proposed works. - **Community bodies:** **Land Councils** under the Land Rights Act — Central Land Council, Northern Land Council, Anindilyakwa Land Council, Tiwi Land Council. - **Practitioner note:** NT has the strongest land-ownership-based engagement model in the country. Work proceeds with the Land Council holding ownership; AAPA Authority Certificates are non-discretionary for sacred site impacts. ### Australian Capital Territory - **Statutory framework:** _Heritage Act 2004_ (ACT), administered by the ACT Heritage Council. - **Heritage register:** **ACT Heritage Register**. - **Community bodies:** **Representative Aboriginal Organisations (RAOs)** — currently the United Ngunnawal Elders Council, Buru Ngunnawal Aboriginal Corporation, King Brown Tribal Group, and Little Gudgenby River Tribal Council. The ACT recognises multiple distinct Ngunnawal family group voices. - **Practitioner note:** Small jurisdiction with a particularly community-facing engagement model. The four-RAO structure means consultation typically involves all four organisations, not just one. ### Tasmania (lutruwita) — caveat repeated The Tasmania caveat from the top of this chapter applies in full here. - **Statutory framework:** _Aboriginal Relics Act 1975_ (Tas) — older and weaker than every other jurisdiction's framework above. Reform has been discussed for over a decade. - **Heritage register:** **Aboriginal Heritage Register**, administered by **Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania** (state government). - **Community bodies:** **Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC)** is the principal community organisation. There is no statutory equivalent of NSW LALCs or Victorian RAPs. - **No Tasmanian-specific Country-centred design framework exists.** Cultural sensitivity is higher when statutory protection is weaker. Engage Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania and TAC directly; do not transpose NSW or Victorian frameworks. ### Cross-jurisdictional federal overlay Three federal instruments apply across every state: - **_Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984_ (Cth)** — allows the Federal Minister to intervene where state processes have failed. - **_Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999_ (Cth)** — covers National Heritage places with Indigenous values; impacts on those places require federal assessment. - **Native Title** under the _Native Title Act 1993_ (Cth) — operates across jurisdictions; affects engagement obligations even where state heritage processes are silent. --- ## References ¹ Victorian Government. _Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006_. [https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/aboriginal-heritage-act-2006](https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/aboriginal-heritage-act-2006) ² First Peoples-State Relations Victoria. _Aboriginal Cultural Heritage_. [https://www.firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au/aboriginal-cultural-heritage](https://www.firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au/aboriginal-cultural-heritage) ³ Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council. _Registered Aboriginal Parties_. [https://www.aboriginalheritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/victoria-registered-aboriginal-parties](https://www.aboriginalheritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/victoria-registered-aboriginal-parties) ⁴ First Peoples-State Relations Victoria. _Cultural Heritage Management Plans_. [https://www.firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au/cultural-heritage-management-plans](https://www.firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au/cultural-heritage-management-plans) ⁵ First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria. _Treaty Process_. [https://www.firstpeoplesvic.org/](https://www.firstpeoplesvic.org/) --- ## Next Steps Continue to **Chapter 8: Essential Resources & Tools** for a curated collection of books, digital tools, and organisations that will support your ongoing learning and practice.

# Essential Resources & Tools > **NSCA 2021 alignment:** This chapter underpins demonstration of PC 3, PC 8, PC 17, and PC 27 — the resources listed here are the source material a practitioner draws on to evidence ongoing competency development. This chapter collects the books, tools, and organisations that will deepen your understanding and support ethical Indigenous engagement in your practice. ## Essential Texts ### The Biggest Estate on Earth  _Fig. 8.1: "The Biggest Estate on Earth" documents the land management systems Aboriginal peoples used across Australia.¹_ **Bill Gammage** (Allen & Unwin, 2011) — Argues from coloniser-era artwork, journals, and ecological evidence that Aboriginal peoples actively managed the Australian landscape over tens of thousands of years, contesting the "untouched wilderness" narrative.¹ **[Allen & Unwin](https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/general-books/history/The-Biggest-Estate-on-Earth-Bill-Gammage-9781742377483)** --- ### Dark Emu  _Fig. 8.2: "Dark Emu" challenges colonial narratives about Aboriginal land management and agricultural practices.²_ **Bruce Pascoe** (Magabala Books, 2014) — An accessible account of pre-colonial Aboriginal land management, including the argument that some communities practised forms of settled agriculture (grain cultivation, fish traps at Brewarrina). Read alongside Sutton & Walshe's 2021 critique (_Farmers or Hunter-Gatherers?_), which contests the agriculture claim while accepting much of the land-management evidence.² **[Magabala Books](https://www.magabala.com/products/dark-emu)** --- ### Decolonising Methodologies  _Fig. 8.3: "Decolonizing Methodologies" sets out a research framework that begins from Indigenous epistemology.³_ **Linda Tuhiwai Smith (Māori)** (Zed Books, 3rd ed. 2021) — Sets out a research framework that begins from Indigenous epistemology rather than treating Indigenous communities as research subjects. Chapters 4 ("Research through Imperial Eyes") and 7 ("Articulating an Indigenous Research Agenda") are useful starting points for architects.³ **[Zed Books](https://www.zedbooks.net/shop/book/decolonising-methodologies/)** --- ### Research Is Ceremony  _Fig. 8.4: "Research Is Ceremony" presents an Indigenous research paradigm emphasising relationships and ceremony.⁴_ **Shawn Wilson (Opaskwayak Cree)** — Indigenous research paradigm emphasising relationships and ceremony in knowledge creation.⁴ **[Fernwood Publishing](https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/research-is-ceremony)** --- ### The Little Red, Yellow, Black Book  _Fig. 8.5: "The Little Red, Yellow, Black Book" — an introduction to Indigenous Australia.⁵_ **AIATSIS** (Aboriginal Studies Press, 4th ed. 2018) — A general introduction to Indigenous Australia covering history, peoples, languages, and cultural practices. A short reference text rather than a deep dive.⁵ **[AIATSIS Publication](https://aiatsis.gov.au/publication/34972)** --- ### Gunyah Goondie + Wurley  _Fig. 8.6: "Gunyah Goondie + Wurley" — a continental survey of Australian First Nations architecture.⁶_ **Paul Memmott** (UQP, 2007) — A continental survey of Australian First Nations architecture, cataloguing dwelling traditions across regions and climates and linking them to materials, mobility, and seasonal use. The standard reference for any architect claiming Indigenous Australians "didn't build."⁶ **[Thames & Hudson](https://thamesandhudson.com.au/product/gunyah-goondie-wurley-the-aboriginal-architecture-of-australia/)** --- ## Digital Tools & Maps ### AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia Your first stop for any project. Identifies Traditional Owners and language groups across Australia.⁷ > **Note:** The AIATSIS Map requires formal permission for reproduction. View it directly on the AIATSIS website—this is consistent with the ICIP principles outlined in Chapter 4. **[View the AIATSIS Map](https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia)** --- ### Gambay: First Languages Map  _Fig. 8.8: Gambay maps Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages._ Interactive map of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. **[Gambay](https://gambay.com.au/)** --- ### Atlas of Living Australia (ALA)  _Fig. 8.9: The Atlas of Living Australia provides biodiversity data essential for understanding project site ecology._ Australia's national biodiversity database. An open-access, collaborative platform for Australian plants, animals, and fungi. **[Atlas of Living Australia](https://www.ala.org.au/)** --- ### CSIRO Indigenous Projects Map  _Fig. 8.10: The CSIRO Indigenous Projects Map documents Indigenous ecological knowledge, including seasonal calendars._ Interactive map documenting Indigenous ecological knowledge, particularly seasonal calendars from Aboriginal communities. **[CSIRO Indigenous Projects](https://www.csiro.au/en/research/indigenous-science/indigenous-projects-map)** --- ### Yalinguth  _Fig. 8.11: Yalinguth shares Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories, songs, and sounds in Melbourne._ Audio app and walking tour sharing stories, songs, and sounds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Melbourne. The word 'Yalinguth' means 'yesterday' in Woi Wurrung, reflecting the philosophy: "we need to go back, to go forwards." **[Yalinguth](https://yalinguth.com.au/)** --- ### Three-Category Approach Workbook  _Fig. 8.12: The Three-Category Approach Workbook provides practical guidance for applying Indigenous knowledge to land management._ Practical tool from the CAUL Hub for applying Indigenous knowledge to land management and urban design. **[Workbook PDF](https://nespurban.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Three-Category-Approach-workbook-fillable.pdf)** --- ## Key Organisations ### Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria (IADV)  _Fig. 8.13: IADV supports Indigenous architects and centres Indigenous knowledge systems in built-environment practice.⁸_ Founded by **Jefa Greenaway and Rueben Berg**. Supports Indigenous architects working in Australia and centres Indigenous knowledge systems in built-environment practice.⁸ **[IADV](https://iadv.com.au/)** --- ### Supply Nation  _Fig. 8.14: Supply Nation provides a directory of verified Indigenous businesses for procurement.⁹_ Directory of Indigenous businesses including architects, designers, and consultants. Used for Indigenous procurement.⁹ **[Supply Nation](https://supplynation.org.au/)** --- ### Kinaway Chamber of Commerce  _Fig. 8.15: Kinaway is the Victorian Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce._ The Victorian Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce, supporting Indigenous businesses in Victoria. **[Kinaway](https://www.kinaway.com.au/)** --- ### Koorie Heritage Trust  _Fig. 8.16: The Koorie Heritage Trust offers cultural education led by Aboriginal people._ Key cultural hub in Melbourne offering public programs and cultural education led by Aboriginal people. **[Koorie Heritage Trust](https://koorieheritagetrust.com.au/)** --- ### Lowitja Institute  _Fig. 8.17: The Lowitja Institute provides resources for ethical, community-led research._ National Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research. Provides guides and resources for ethical, community-led research. **[Lowitja Institute](https://www.lowitja.org.au)** --- ### Balarinji  _Fig. 8.18: Balarinji — Indigenous design studio, founded 1983._ Indigenous design studio founded in 1983 by John and Ros Moriarty (Yanyuwa). Provides graphic design, cultural design frameworks, and public art services. **[Balarinji](https://balarinji.com.au/)** --- ## Video Resources ### Not an Expert | Danièle Hromek, Francoise Lane and Sarah Lynn Rees  _Fig. 8.19: "Not an Expert" features discussion about Cultural Authority and collaboration in architecture._ Lively discussion about Cultural Authority and collaboration, convened by Sarah Lynn Rees as part of the Asia Pacific Architecture Festival. **[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt1zAIxPbg0)** --- ### Loving Country (Short Film)  _Fig. 8.20: "Loving Country" explores connection to Country._ Short film based on the book by Bruce Pascoe & Vicky Shukuroglou. **[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfWomOosCFg)** --- ### Wilya Janta: The story of how it all began  _Fig. 8.21: "Wilya Janta" tells the story of climate-ready and culturally appropriate remote housing._ Three-part video series about climate-ready and culturally appropriate remote housing, in Pintupi-Luritja with English subtitles. **[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF8bnGGNs2Q)** --- ## Design Translation Framework One of the hardest parts of Country-centred design is translating abstract cultural values into concrete spatial decisions. This framework provides worked examples. ### How to Use This Framework 1. **Identify the cultural value** from your engagement with Traditional Owners 2. **Understand the underlying principle** — what does this value mean in practice? 3. **Explore spatial implications** — how might this translate to design? 4. **Test with community** — validate your interpretation through ongoing engagement ### Worked Examples | Cultural Value | Design Translation | | ---------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Respect for Country's agency** | Design allows natural processes (flooding, fire, seasonal change); buildings respond to rather than dominate landscape; viewing platforms create connection without interference | | **Connection to waterways** | Site planning prioritises water visibility; blue-green infrastructure celebrates rather than hides water; design creates gathering spaces at water's edge | | **Caring for Country** | Native planting palettes; habitat corridors through sites; permeable surfaces; stormwater as design feature not problem to solve | | **Intergenerational knowledge** | Spaces for teaching and storytelling; designs that accommodate both large gatherings and intimate conversations; child-friendly spaces adjacent to Elder spaces | | **Welcoming and gathering** | Entry sequences that welcome visitors to Country; flexible gathering spaces; clear sightlines between activity areas; shelter from weather | | **Seasonal awareness** | Designs that respond to seasonal change; spaces oriented to capture seasonal sun/shade; planting that marks seasonal transitions; outdoor rooms for different seasons | | **Material connection to Country** | Local materials where appropriate and culturally approved; colour palettes derived from Country; textures reflecting local geology or vegetation | | **Wayfinding through Country** | Indigenous place names used with permission; directional design toward significant landscape features; landmarks visible from key locations | | **Cultural safety** | Spaces for cultural practice with appropriate privacy; flexibility for ceremony; acoustic separation where needed; storage for cultural items | | **Health and healing** | Connection to sky, earth, and water; natural ventilation and light; spaces for quiet reflection; integration with surrounding Country | ### Design Principles by Theme **Caring for Country** — Minimise site disturbance. Design for ecological benefit, not just minimal harm. Support habitat connectivity. Plan for long-term landscape health. **Enabling Cultural Practice** — Provide flexible spaces that can accommodate ceremony. Include outdoor gathering spaces. Design for acoustic privacy where needed. Allow for food preparation and sharing. **Expressing Cultural Identity** — Work with Indigenous artists and designers (with ICIP protocols). Consider narrative through sequence and journey. Material and colour selections should emerge from engagement. Avoid superficial application of "Indigenous style." **Creating Gathering Spaces** — Centre gathering as a design driver. Design for multiple scales of gathering. Consider sight lines and connection between spaces. Plan for both formal and informal gathering. ### Material and Colour Considerations Colours and materials should emerge from engagement with Traditional Owners and connection to specific Country. Consider **landscape observation** (what colours dominate this Country across seasons), **geological context** (what local stone, earth, or clay exists), **vegetation patterns** (what endemic species provide colour cues), **cultural significance** (are there colours with particular meaning), and **contemporary expression** (how do Traditional Owners want their Country represented today). **Note:** Never assume colour or material choices based on generic "Indigenous" references. Always work directly with Traditional Owners of the specific Country. --- ## References ¹ Gammage, B. (2011). _The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia_. Allen & Unwin. ² Pascoe, B. (2014). _Dark Emu: Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?_ Magabala Books. ³ Smith, L.T. (2021). _Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples_ (3rd ed.). Zed Books. ⁴ Wilson, S. (2008). _Research Is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods_. Fernwood Publishing. ⁵ AIATSIS. (2018). _The Little Red, Yellow, Black Book_ (4th ed.). Aboriginal Studies Press. ⁶ Memmott, P. (2007). _Gunyah, Goondie + Wurley: The Aboriginal Architecture of Australia_. University of Queensland Press. ⁷ AIATSIS. _Map of Indigenous Australia_. [https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia](https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia) ⁸ Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria. [https://iadv.com.au/](https://iadv.com.au/) ⁹ Supply Nation. [https://supplynation.org.au/](https://supplynation.org.au/) --- ## Next Steps Continue to **Chapter 9: Precedent Projects** to see projects that demonstrate good practice in Indigenous engagement and Country-centred design.

# Precedent Projects > **NSCA 2021 alignment:** This chapter supports demonstration of PC 27 (First Nations Engagement in Design) by surfacing built precedents that exemplify the engagement standard the rest of the guide describes. Read alongside Chapter 6 for the regulatory framing. The clearest way to understand what genuine Indigenous engagement looks like in practice is to look at projects that have done it. The eleven projects below — across cultural institutions, schools, healthcare, and remote community work — each pair specific architects with named Traditional Owner groups, and each has been recognised in industry awards or curated programs. They are not held up here as templates to copy but as worked examples worth reading the source material on. > **How to read these:** Each entry below names a **Method** (the transferable technique a non-Indigenous practice could lift) and a **Governance model** (who actually led the work — Indigenous-led, co-led, or non-Indigenous-led with named engagement). The governance line matters. A project led by an Indigenous practitioner is not a template a non-Indigenous practitioner can copy; it is a precedent of what is possible when leadership is correctly placed. Community outcomes — what each community itself reports — are not included in this version because they require source material the public record doesn't carry cleanly; that data is held for advisor review. --- ## HOME — Australia Pavilion Venice Biennale 2025  _Fig. 9.1: HOME, Australia Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025.¹_ **Dr Michael Mossman, Emily McDaniel, and Jack Gillmer-Lilley** — Australia's first all-Indigenous curatorial team. The pavilion is built around a circular rammed-earth structure, with yarning circles for visitor participation. Construction targets net-zero carbon emissions and material circularity, using materials sourced in Venice rather than shipped from Australia.¹ **Method:** Yarning circle as the spatial and procedural core — visitors are participants, not audience. **Governance:** Indigenous-led (all-Indigenous curatorial team). **[ArchDaily Coverage](https://www.archdaily.com/1023165/australia-pavilion-explores-indigenous-knowledge-systems-for-venice-biennale-2025)** --- ## Darlington Public School — fjcstudio  _Fig. 9.2: Darlington Public School by fjcstudio.²_ **World Architecture Festival, Building of the Year 2024.**² A school redevelopment in Sydney designed under the GANSW Connecting with Country framework, with sustained consultation involving an Aboriginal Art Group, First Nations Elders, and community. Existing site murals were preserved and recreated; totems by Uncle Neil Thorne, QR codes linking to cultural narratives, and Indigenous plants are integrated into the learning spaces. **Method:** Existing cultural artefacts preserved and recreated rather than replaced; named-artist commissions for new cultural work; cultural narratives linked at point-of-encounter via QR. **Governance:** Non-Indigenous-led (fjcstudio) with sustained Aboriginal Art Group + Elders consultation under the GANSW framework. **[fjcstudio Project](https://fjcstudio.com/darlington-public-school)** --- ## North Head Viewing Platforms — CHROFI with Bangawarra  _Fig. 9.3: North Head Viewing Platforms — Burragula and Yiningma.³_ **AIA National Nicholas Murcutt Award.**³ Two named viewing platforms — Burragula and Yiningma — on Car-rang-gel (North Head), designed by CHROFI with Bangawarra. Stone pavers and seating are carved from solid stone, and the platforms are positioned along existing landforms used for ceremony and teaching. Designed as gathering spaces, not lookouts. **Method:** Programmatic reframing — platforms intended as ceremony/teaching infrastructure, not visitor amenity. Reading the site's existing cultural use before adding new infrastructure. **Governance:** Co-design (CHROFI **with** Bangawarra, an Indigenous design practice — credited as co-author, not sub-consultant). **[CHROFI Project](https://www.chrofi.com/projects/north-head-viewing-platforms-duplicate)** --- ## Koorie Heritage Trust, Federation Square — Lyons Architecture with IADV  _Fig. 9.4: Koorie Heritage Trust, Federation Square.⁴_ The first stand-alone First Nations cultural institution in an Australian capital-city CBD, developed in sustained consultation with Koorie communities. The interior is anchored by a custom 7.5-metre Canoe Table referencing 38 Victorian language groups; the building's orientation reconnects the site to the Birrarung (Yarra River).⁴ **Method:** Site orientation drove from the cultural landscape (the Birrarung), not the urban grid. Centrepiece artefact (Canoe Table) authored as language-group reference rather than as decoration. **Governance:** Non-Indigenous-led (Lyons) with **Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria (IADV)** as design partner — IADV is itself an Indigenous-led organisation. **[Lyons Architecture](https://lyonsarch.com.au/projects/koorie-heritage-trust)** --- ## Gathering Space: Ngargee Djeembana — N'arweet Carolyn Briggs AM and Sarah Lynn Rees  _Fig. 9.5: Gathering Space: Ngargee Djeembana.⁵_ A topographical installation at ACCA Melbourne by N'arweet Carolyn Briggs AM and Sarah Lynn Rees. Constructed from materials sourced in Victoria. The work takes its name from two Boonwurrung concepts: _Ngargee_ — visual arts, performance, story and dance coming together — and _Djeembana_ — diversity within community.⁵ **Method:** Locally-sourced material palette as cultural statement; concept-naming in language as the structuring idea of the work, not the surface gloss. **Governance:** Indigenous-led (N'arweet Carolyn Briggs AM, Boonwurrung Elder + Sarah Lynn Rees, Plangermaireener architect). **[ACCA Exhibition](https://acca.melbourne/whos-afraid-of-public-space/onsite/gathering-space-ngargee-djeembana/)** --- ## Kaunitz Yeung Architecture — Multiple Indigenous Community Projects  _Fig. 9.6: Kaunitz Yeung Architecture — Puntukurnu AMS Healthcare Hub and Wanarn Clinic.⁶_ **Union of International Architects, Vassilis Sgoutas Prize.**⁶ Practice working across 40+ Aboriginal communities, primarily in remote contexts. Notable projects include the Puntukurnu AMS Healthcare Hub and Wanarn Clinic, the latter featuring art screens by local artists. Co-design is run as a recurring engagement across the project, not a single workshop. **Method:** Engagement structured as a recurring rhythm across the project lifecycle, not as a one-off consultation event. Local-artist commissioning for building-scale work, not just object-scale. **Governance:** Non-Indigenous-led with structured co-design protocol — the practice has built a methodology that survives across 40+ project relationships. **[Kaunitz Yeung](https://www.kaunitz-yeung.com/)** --- ## In Absence Pavilion — Edition Office + Yhonnie Scarce  _Fig. 9.7: In Absence Pavilion, NGV Architecture Commission 2019.⁷_ **NGV Architecture Commission 2019.**⁷ A 9-metre cylindrical pavilion in black timber, with a hollow centre. Edition Office worked with artist Yhonnie Scarce; the interior holds 1,600 hand-blown black glass yams. The form references Indigenous eel traps and permanent dwellings, and the central void is read as the false absence claimed by Terra Nullius.⁷ **Method:** Architectural form carrying a political/historical argument (Terra Nullius critique) through built space, with the Indigenous-artist-led interior as the primary content of the architecture, not a decorative layer. **Governance:** Non-Indigenous-led architecture (Edition Office) **in equal collaboration with** Indigenous artist (Yhonnie Scarce, Kokatha/Nukunu). Artist authorship is integral, not subordinate. **[NGV Exhibition](https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/2019-architecture-commission/)** --- ## Walumba Elders Centre, Warrmarn — Iredale Pedersen Hook  _Fig. 9.8: Walumba Elders Centre, Warrmarn (Frog Hollow).⁸_ **Architizer A+ Award.**⁸ Built for the Gija community at Warrmarn (Frog Hollow) following the 2011 Kimberley floods, which destroyed the previous facility. Raised 2.4 metres on steel piers for flood resilience. The single-storey timber-framed plan has broad shaded verandahs on three sides — verandahs are where Elders work, eat, and meet. Roof colours and forms reference local landscape; spatial sequence accommodates Gija lore transmission and intergenerational teaching. **Method:** Verandah as the primary working space, not the building's perimeter — the program of "where Elders work, eat, and meet" drives the plan. Climate-resilience integrated with cultural protocol (raised structure + intergenerational sequencing). **Governance:** Non-Indigenous-led (Iredale Pedersen Hook) with extended on-Country engagement with the Gija community. **[Iredale Pedersen Hook](https://www.iredalepedersenhook.com/)** --- ## Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo — Y2 Architecture  _Fig. 9.9: Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo.⁹_ Adaptive reuse of the 1860s Sandhurst Gaol as a 1,000-seat performing arts venue, completed 2015. The existing bluestone perimeter wall and gatehouse are retained; the new theatre fits within the historic envelope. Designed in consultation with Dja Dja Wurrung Traditional Owners; the name _Ulumbarra_ means "meeting place."⁹ **Method:** Naming in language as the building's primary identifier; adaptive-reuse strategy that holds the colonial-era envelope visible while reprogramming the interior. **Governance:** Non-Indigenous-led (Y2 Architecture) with Dja Dja Wurrung consultation. Note the carceral history of the site — the cultural framing of "meeting place" is doing significant reparative work that requires careful unpacking with the community over time. **[Y2 Architecture](https://www.y2architecture.com.au/ulumbarra-theatre)** --- ## Wilcannia Health Service — Merrima Aboriginal Design Unit  _Fig. 9.10: Wilcannia Health Service, redeveloped for the Barkinji people.¹⁰_ **NSW AIA Blacket Award.**¹⁰ Redevelopment of a colonial-era hospital for the Barkinji people. The design adds and reshapes covered outdoor circulation spaces between buildings, reorienting the complex toward the Darling River and the family groupings the original hospital had ignored. Designed by the Merrima Aboriginal Design Unit. **Method:** Reorientation of an existing colonial layout to match family groupings and connection to country (Darling River) — the spatial diagnosis was that the previous building had got the relational structure wrong, not just the program. **Governance:** Indigenous-led (Merrima Aboriginal Design Unit) — Merrima was a NSW Government Architect's office unit founded to deliver Indigenous-led design across NSW projects. **[Architecture Australia](https://architectureau.com/articles/wilcannia-health-service/)** --- ## Brambuk Cultural Centre, Halls Gap — Gregory Burgess Architects  _Fig. 9.11: Brambuk Cultural Centre, Halls Gap.¹¹_ Gregory Burgess camped on-site with Jadawadjali and Djab Wurrung people through the design process to develop the centre as a working cultural facility rather than a museum. Five Koorie communities were involved in design and construction, using local materials and labour. The undulating roofline echoes the Grampians ranges and the cockatoo totem.¹¹ **Method:** Architect-on-Country embedded design process — the design developed on-site with community, not back at the studio. Local-material + local-labour requirement woven into procurement, not added afterwards. Working cultural facility brief, not museum brief. **Governance:** Non-Indigenous-led (Gregory Burgess) with five Koorie communities engaged across design and construction — a project from a period (early 1990s) when this depth of engagement was significantly rarer than it is today. **[Gregory Burgess Architects](https://www.gregoryburgess.com.au/)** --- --- ## References ¹ Creative Australia. "HOME: Australia Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale 2025." ² World Architecture Festival. (2024). "Darlington Public School — World Building of the Year 2024." ³ Australian Institute of Architects. "North Head Viewing Platforms — Nicholas Murcutt Award 2024." ⁴ Lyons Architecture. "Koorie Heritage Trust." [https://lyonsarch.com.au/projects/koorie-heritage-trust](https://lyonsarch.com.au/projects/koorie-heritage-trust) ⁵ Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. "Gathering Space: Ngargee Djeembana." [https://acca.melbourne/whos-afraid-of-public-space/onsite/gathering-space-ngargee-djeembana/](https://acca.melbourne/whos-afraid-of-public-space/onsite/gathering-space-ngargee-djeembana/) ⁶ Union of International Architects. "Vassilis Sgoutas Prize — Kaunitz Yeung Architecture." ⁷ National Gallery of Victoria. "In Absence: 2019 NGV Architecture Commission." [https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/2019-architecture-commission/](https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/2019-architecture-commission/) ⁸ Architizer. "Walumba Elders Centre — A+ Award Winner." ⁹ Y2 Architecture. "Ulumbarra Theatre." [https://www.y2architecture.com.au/ulumbarra-theatre](https://www.y2architecture.com.au/ulumbarra-theatre) ¹⁰ Architecture Australia. "Wilcannia Health Service." [https://architectureau.com/articles/wilcannia-health-service/](https://architectureau.com/articles/wilcannia-health-service/) ¹¹ Gregory Burgess Architects. "Brambuk Cultural Centre." --- ## Next Steps Continue to **Chapter 10: Your Path Forward** for actionable next steps and ongoing commitments for Indigenous engagement in your practice.

# Your Path Forward > **NSCA 2021 alignment:** This chapter is the practical-action overlay across PC 8, PC 17, and PC 27 — the "three things on every project" and the per-practice-size guidance below are designed as evidence artefacts for ongoing competency development. The Review and Acknowledgements section at the end of this chapter is itself part of PC 27 evidence — it records the First Nations advisor engagement gating publication of the guide. The practical question now is how to take what you've read and change how your practice operates. This final chapter gives you concrete actions, answers to the questions architects most often ask, and a framework for making Indigenous engagement part of how you practise — not just something you do occasionally. ## Three Things to Do on Every Project ### 1. Start with Country **Before you do anything else, find out whose Country you're on.** Use the **AIATSIS Map** to identify Traditional Owners. In Victoria, check **ACHRIS** for cultural heritage sensitivity. Make early contact with the relevant **Registered Aboriginal Party** and research what this place means to the people who belong to it. **[AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia](https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia)** --- ### 2. Follow Protocols  _Fig. 10.2: The AIATSIS Code of Ethics — foundational guidance for ethical engagement.²_ **Learn the right way to engage, then do it.** Know the difference between Welcome and Acknowledgement, and use appropriate language (see Chapter 5). Pay properly for Indigenous knowledge and time, and allow enough time for community consultation. **[AIATSIS Guidelines for Ethical Research](https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/guidelines-ethical-research-australian-indigenous-studies)** --- ### 3. Build Relationships  _Fig. 10.3: The Connecting with Country Framework — guidance for long-term relationship building.³_ **Engagement is about relationships, not transactions.** Connect with communities before you need something from them. Put Indigenous voices at the centre of design discussions, stay connected after the project ends, and be accountable to the communities you work with. **[Reconciliation Australia: Building Relationships](https://www.reconciliation.org.au/building-relationships/)** --- ## Advice By Practice Size ### Sole Practitioners / Small Practices Start with yourself. Build your own knowledge through reading and professional development. Attend cultural awareness training. Develop a simple engagement protocol you apply to all projects, no matter how small. For projects needing deeper engagement than you can provide alone, partner with firms or consultancies who have established relationships. Build engagement costs into your fees from the start — don't treat them as optional. ### Medium Practices Create formal Indigenous engagement policies for your whole team. Consider a Reflect RAP as a structured starting point.⁴ Assign someone specific responsibility for Indigenous engagement. Build ongoing relationships with local Traditional Owner groups that outlast individual projects. ### Large Practices Implement engagement frameworks across all offices. Pursue an Innovate or Stretch RAP. Hire Indigenous staff. Support Indigenous graduates entering the profession. Use your influence to lift industry standards — lead by example, advocate for change. --- ## Where to Keep Learning **Professional Development** — Koorie Heritage Trust (cultural education programs), Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria / IADV (built environment focus), and the AIA First Nations Committee (industry guidance for architects). **Indigenous Business** — Supply Nation (directory of verified Indigenous businesses), Kinaway (Victorian Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce), and local Land Councils for direct community connections. **Research** — NESP Urban Hub (urban Indigenous research), university Indigenous research centres (academic partnerships), and Lowitja Institute (health and wellbeing, relevant for community facilities). --- ## Questions You're Probably Asking Use this section as a practical decision aid: define the principle, apply a minimum action, then escalate if risk remains. ### "What if they don't want to engage?" **Principle:** Respect community autonomy. **Minimum action:** Ask whether another time or method would be preferred, avoid pushing for justification, and document your engagement attempt. **Escalation action:** If project risk remains high, pause and reassess scope with Traditional Owner guidance rather than proceeding by assumption. ### "How much should I budget?" **Principle:** Engagement is core project work, not optional overhead. **Minimum action:** Set a dedicated line item for engagement costs. As a rough guide: - **Small projects:** 2–5% of professional fees - **Medium projects:** 5–10% of professional fees - **Large/significant projects:** Scope engagement as a separate line item with community input Include consulting fees, meeting costs, travel, accommodation, and community administration support. **Escalation action:** For significant projects, co-define scope and budget with community input before locking design fees. ### "What if I disagree with community feedback?" Community feedback isn't just input to consider — it's guidance from the people who know this Country best. If feedback conflicts with your design intent: listen to understand the concern. Explain your constraints honestly. Explore alternatives together. Be willing to change course. If you reach an impasse on matters concerning their Country, the community's wishes should prevail. ### "How do I handle sacred information?" Ask explicitly what can and cannot be shared or recorded. Never assume permission extends beyond the specific purpose granted. Store sensitive information securely with restricted access, and return or destroy materials when requested. When uncertain, ask. ### "Can I use Indigenous patterns or artwork?" Not without explicit permission. You need identification of the knowledge owner(s), explicit informed consent for the specific use, a written agreement on attribution, compensation, and limitations, and an ongoing relationship with accountability.⁵ See the ICIP section in Chapter 4 for detailed guidance. ### "How do I know I'm talking to the right people?" Use multiple sources: the **AIATSIS Map** for language group identification, the **Native Title Tribunal** for registered claims, **state registers** (ACHRIS in Victoria), and **local Land Councils** for regional guidance. Be aware that multiple groups may have legitimate connections to Country. ### "Can small projects skip engagement?" No. Scale the engagement to the project, but never skip it entirely. At minimum: acknowledge whose Country you're on, check cultural heritage sensitivity, and document your approach. ### "My client won't fund proper engagement" **Principle:** This is an ethics and compliance issue, not a preference issue.⁶ **Minimum action:** - Educate them on NSCA 2021 obligations - Make engagement costs non-negotiable in your fees - Explain legal, reputational, and ethical risks **Escalation action:** - Consider declining the project - If they proceed without proper engagement, document your advice formally ### "How do I convince skeptical colleagues?" Focus on facts and outcomes: - NSCA 2021 requires Indigenous engagement competency - Case studies show better design and community outcomes - Clients and regulators increasingly expect this - Lead by example rather than arguing ### "What if I make a mistake?" You will. Acknowledge it honestly to the person affected, find out from them what would help, and change your practice. Defensiveness makes things worse; consistent action over time is what rebuilds trust. Chapter 5 has more on this. --- ## The Long View Indigenous engagement is ongoing. Each project tightens or weakens the relationship between your practice and the communities you work with — treat it as a long-running account, not a project-by-project checklist. **Set a practical cadence:** - **Per project:** Confirm engagement scope, protocols, and evidence records at project start. - **Quarterly:** Review outcomes, gaps, and unresolved commitments with your team. - **Annually:** Update policy, training, and relationship goals with Traditional Owner input. This guide is a starting point. The real learning happens through genuine engagement with Indigenous peoples, communities, and knowledge systems. --- ## Review and Acknowledgements This guide is published in the working position described in Chapter 1: a non-Indigenous-led practice (CLAD) offering culturally-responsive support to other non-Indigenous practitioners. To honour that framing rather than just claim it, the guide commits to **paid First Nations advisor review** before it loses its "working draft" status. ### Review status | Item | Status | | --- | --- | | **First Nations advisor** | _Engagement pending — to be named at sign-off_ | | **Scope of review** | Terminology (Chapter 5 language table), ICIP framing (Chapter 4), Country positioning (Chapter 1), lutruwita-specific content (Chapter 6, 7), structural-mistakes section (Chapter 5), precedent governance attributions (Chapter 9) | | **Review date** | _TBD_ | | **Most likely sections to be revised by advisor feedback** | Chapter 1 "Our Position"; Chapter 4 three-tier ICIP risk flags; Chapter 5 language tables; Chapter 6 & 7 lutruwita caveats | | **Ongoing commitment** | v2+ Country-tagged content additions require advisor consultation at the same standard; CLAD does not unilaterally add Country-tagged content post-launch (per `COUNTRY-PROTOCOL.md` §9.5) | If you are reading this section and the advisor row is still "Engagement pending," that means the work has not yet been done — treat every protocol-sensitive section as **provisional**. We will update this table with the advisor's name, scope notes, and review date once that engagement closes. This is what the protocol calls a "paid engagement, scoped, contracted, and budgeted" (§9.3). Per the International Indigenous Design Charter for non-Indigenous design companies: "procure Indigenous expertise/consultants where applicable." That obligation sits with CLAD, not with the reader. ### How to flag content that needs the advisor's attention If you spot copy in this guide that reads as appropriation, mis-positioning, or factual error — particularly anything that crosses the protocol lines in Chapter 5 — please [tell us](#suggest-a-correction). Feedback received before the advisor review is incorporated into the advisor brief; feedback received after is folded into the v2 plan. --- ## Acknowledgement This guide was developed on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters, and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Sovereignty was never ceded. --- ## References ¹ AIATSIS. _Map of Indigenous Australia_. [https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia](https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia) ² AIATSIS. (2020). _AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research_. [https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research](https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research) ³ Government Architect NSW. (2020). _Connecting with Country Draft Framework_. [https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-architect-nsw/policies-and-frameworks/connecting-with-country](https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-architect-nsw/policies-and-frameworks/connecting-with-country) ⁴ Reconciliation Australia. _Reconciliation Action Plans_. [https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/](https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/) ⁵ AIATSIS. _Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)_. [https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/indigenous-cultural-and-intellectual-property](https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/indigenous-cultural-and-intellectual-property) ⁶ Architects Accreditation Council of Australia. (2021). _National Standard of Competency for Architects_. [https://aaca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021-NSCA-Explanatory-Notes.pdf](https://aaca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021-NSCA-Explanatory-Notes.pdf) --- **Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.** --- **[Return to Guide Contents](/guides/country)** --- _Guide developed by CLAD — Carey Landwehr Architecture & Design_ _Resources compiled from publicly available Indigenous-authored and endorsed materials_