I work between Traditional Owners, government and industry — coordinating land, governance and recovery programs so what communities want and what funders require end up saying the same thing.
IPA delivery, ranger program design, joint management structures, and the consultation frameworks that hold Traditional Owner decision-making at the centre.
Acquittals, milestone reporting, and briefing materials aligned to State and Commonwealth funding frameworks — written so they read clearly to both a board and a department.
Tiered-access knowledge systems that let communities control culturally sensitive information while still meeting research, science and reporting obligations.
Evacuation logistics, welfare coordination and community liaison during disaster response — and the consultation work that shapes what recovery funding goes toward.
Structured recruitment, onboarding and training pathways that move Aboriginal community members into ranger, land management and government-adjacent roles.
I work in community and governance spaces that aren't mine. I know exactly whose Country and whose decision-making this is, and I show up accordingly.
Right now, there are real gaps in these systems — gaps that need hands and feet on the ground today, not another round of planning. I can fill that need immediately. But the gap was never mine to keep, so the work is built as temporary relief on top of sustainable practice: bringing people along, leaving the learning behind, so it doesn't reopen the minute support leaves.
Coordinated the Indigenous Protected Area and Elders & community engagement stream of the wider Strong Countries program — the proposed 557,000+ hectare IPA — while holding responsibility for acquittals and governance reporting across the program's full $2M+ annual funding, spanning fire, water, conservation and training portfolios. Managed NIAA and DCCEEW-funded assets including a five-vehicle fleet and field equipment. Worked alongside ecologists, anthropologists and linguists to integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge with two-way science, and represented the program at regional governance level through the Pilbara Ranger Network Governing Committee.
Supported visitor and community infrastructure planning at Purungunya National Park under joint management with DBCA — signage consultation and joint management committees working toward a community-run hub.
Coordinated evacuations, welfare checks and urgent medication access across isolated communities, liaising between residents, community and government agencies through the early recovery phase.
Five years living and working in remote Aboriginal communities came before the Bachelor of Anthropology, not the other way around. The degree isn't where the credibility comes from — it's the door-opener, the piece of paper that's meant to get me into rooms with policy makers and Commonwealth departments, so what I've actually witnessed on the ground gets a hearing.
Most of what's needed already exists — funding, frameworks, genuine goodwill on both sides. Where it often gets complicated is the process in between, and there's still real distance between policy makers and community on the ground. That's the gap this practice works to close.
Most of this work happens behind the scenes — funding, reporting, governance frameworks, the parts nobody sees. But when it's needed, I'm just as ready to drive the cruiser, pull calotropis or get the fire started.
Pick what best describes you and I'll point the conversation the right way from the start.