Guiding Principles

The following principles were used in guiding the selection of research undertaken within the Study:

• the Study is a collection of baseline information and impact studies to measure and predict future changes.

• the Study will include a broad range of both environmental and socio-economic information. Projects should cover a large spatial area or be applied at a regional level.

• the Study should contribute to ecologically sustainable development.

• the Study should contribute to protecting land, preserving culture and encouraging community self-sufficiency and self-reliance.

• Traditional knowledge should be fully and effectively incorporated and provide direction in all aspects and phases of the Study.

• the Study will support parallel research projects which interlink traditional and scientific knowledge of a specific research topic where possible.

• the Study will encourage interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary projects. An ecosystem approach should be adopted for projects undertaken in the Study.

• all projects required formal community consultation and regional aboriginal government approval.

• researchers were required to demonstrate community support for projects and to encourage community participation in all aspects of the research: data collection, verification and analysis.