Issue Brief 23 / 1997

The Tjapukai Cultural Park (previously the Tjapukai Dance Theatre) located immediately north of Cairns, is an instructive case study reflecting both private sector employment and regional economic development. It has become well known internationally. Its commercial success is based on:

• offering Djabugay people stable employment; and
• with recent expansion, increased employment for other local Aboriginal groups. Some Aboriginal employees now have ten years continuous employment and the professional development and skills training provided have enhanced their qualifications.

The success of the Park is remarkable since no government subsidies were used in its establishment or later development.

An unexpected benefit of commercial success is the social and cultural empowerment of Djabugay people; involvement in it has contributed to their confidence to speak publicly on matters of Indigenous cultural heritage in their region. They have drawn on their high commercial profile in tourism to demanded inclusion in decisions about cultural tourist development projects; for example, protesting over the siting of Skyrail structures in part of their traditional country, the Barron Falls National Park. Djabugay people emphasised the necessity for companies wanting to capitalise on the region's cultural landscape to consult appropriately with traditional owners. Thus, the role of the Djabugay employees in the Tjapukai Cultural Park entails assertion of their responsibilities as traditional landowners on matters of regional Djabugay land management and cultural heritage protection.

AEDP and private sector employment

In the mid-term review of the Aboriginal Employment Development Policy (AEDP), tourism was identified as a potential opportunity for private sector employment and enterprise development for Aboriginal People. The review of the AEDP review acknowledged that:

• few inroads into private sector employment had resulted from AEDP strategies;
• few positive changes in the socioeconomic status of Indigenous people had been achieved through AEDP policies and strategies;
• hospitality and tourism are one of the few areas of private sector employment and enterprise development which could offer opportunities in specific regions like Cairns. The Tjapukai enterprise has not only confirmed, but demonstrated, the extent of these opportunities.

The Theatre began modestly in Kuranda in 1986. It was privately backed financially and grew from a partnership between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal founders. In six years the Theatre developed from a capital base of $45,000 to over $1 million (gross) turnover. In 1995, it employed 37 local Aboriginal people making it the largest regional employer of Aboriginal people aside from the CDEP scheme. If the contribution of the Theatre is not counted in employment options, the 1991 Census figures give an impression of a socioeconomically depressed community with little evidence of positive employment outcomes achieved under AEDP, and little access into other private sector labour markets for Aboriginal job seekers.

Native title and tourism

Djabugay people lodged a native title claim over the Barron Gorge National Park in May 1994. This was an outcome both of pride in cultural identity and desire to participate in wider regional economic development issues of land, culture and heritage.

For many north Queensland Aboriginal people native title provides leverage for Aboriginal people to argue their rights in regional economic planning, land management and conservation. The Djabugay native title claim ensures consideration, not marginalisation, of Djabugay history, land management, conservation and heritage protection perspectives.

Other local Aboriginal groups argue that they too, deserve a share of the Djabugay socioeconomic success. Consequently, the relocation of the Dance Theatre has prompted questions about ownership of land and about who should benefit from cultural tourism developments. Protagonists argue that what is at stake is the privileging of one group and their identified interests at the expense of other groups.

Policy relevance

The challenge for policies promoting regionalism and self-determination may well relate to questions of equity. It is unclear how a wider Indigenous vision will accommodate the socioeconomic advantages of a particular group (in this case the Djabugay) in the regional struggle for Indigenous participation in economic development. Yet Djabugay involvement in a high profile tourism enterprise has certainly enabled them to publicly demonstrate the association between themselves and the land. In general terms, the Theatre has also made possible Djabugay participation in regional land management and decision-making.

Under the right circumstances, sustainable Aboriginal employment through cultural tourism may represent a niche opportunity; indeed, the commercial success of the Tjapukai Dance Theatre suggests that joint ventures in particular succeed because of their combination of skills specialisation, and emphasis on professional development and training. Support for Djabugay people on regional issues to do with their history and their land has come from the non-Indigenous management. Essentially, the Theatre's success testifies to good commercial strategies, while confirming Djabugay cultural continuities.

This issue brief summarised CAEPR Discussion Paper No. 87, 'Aboriginal employment, native title and regionalism', by J. Finlayson in 1995. It was prepared by Julie Finlayson and edited by Linda Roach.