CDU Symposium

Resource Management and Development in East Nusa Tenggara

in the Era of Regional Autonomy

Wednesday 26 September 2007:DRAFT PROGRAM

Why this symposium? The purpose of this symposium is to foster regional links with East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and build mutual capacity in tackling regional issues. This symposium is part of a Charles Darwin University project, funded by AusAID’s Public Sector Linkage Program.

Who are the speakers? The Symposium will include presentations by senior Indonesian leaders about key issues for resource management and development in eastern Indonesia, and past, present and future collaborations between NT and NTT.

What are the regional issues? NTT is the Indonesian province closest to Darwin, includes the major islands of Flores, Sumba, and the western half of Timor, and is home to over 4.5 million people. Economically, it is among the poorest provinces in Indonesia. The Northern Territory shares with NTT the Arafura and Timor seas, a wet-dry monsoonal climate and a similar degree of remoteness from the respective National centres of political and economic power. There is an urgent need to promote rural development in eastern Indonesia to ensure economic and political stability, and eastern Indonesia has been targeted as an area of priority for a range of international donor organizations.

The Northern Territory is in a unique position to contribute to the development of the region due to its shared geography, environments and capacity for work in remote areas

The ANTARA Program: AusAID is leading the way through the Australia-Nusa Tenggara Assistance for Regional Autonomy Program (ANTARA). ANTARA is an innovative, flexible regional development program aimed at reducing poverty in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). ANTARA will operate initially over five years (2005-2010), with funding of up to A$30 million.

The move to regional autonomy: Over the last ten years there has been a move in Indonesia to promote increased regional autonomy through the devolution of power away from Jakarta to the Provincial and Regency level. With this in mind we have invited the head of the Provincial Planning Board and the chief administrators from regencies on the islands of Sumba, Flores and Timor to present information about critical development issues in the region.

Invited Indonesian Participants

• Dr Jamin Habid, MM, Head of the Provincial Planning Department – Advisor to ANTARA (Kepala BAPEDDA NTT)

• Drs. Danial A Banunaek, Chief Administrator of South Central Timor (Bupati of Timor Tengah Selatan)

• Ir. Umbu Mehang Kunda, Chief Administrator of East Sumba (Bupati of Sumba Timur)

• Dr Elias Djo and Drs. Piet Jos Nuwa Wea Chief Administrators of Ngada and Nagakeo (Bupatis of Ngada and Nagakeo in central Flores)

• Drs. Jan Christofel Benyamin M Si Head of SEKBER for Province NTT – Agency for coordinating international collaborations

CDU has a long association with eastern Indonesia particularly through collaborative research and training in the area of natural resource mapping and management for improved rural livelihoods.  The current CDU project, within the School of Science and Primary Industries and funded under AusAID’s PSLP, is a capacity building project developed in response to needs and issues identified in previous work (see http://indonnrmpslp.ehs.cdu.edu.au/). 

Contacts: Bronwyn Myers 8946 6726 Bronwyn.Myers@cdu.edu.au

Rohan Fisher 8946 6673 Rohan.Fisher@cdu.edu.au

Tania Paul 8946 6176 Tania.Paul@cdu.edu.au