ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses attempts to achieve participation in governance by Australia's indigenous people, a group which has, for much of the last 200 years, been deliberately and systematically excluded from involvement in political and administrative decision-making by the Australian state. It focuses on the particular aspect of governance which involves public appraisal of large-scale development projects and in particular the statutory social impact assessments (SIAs) utilized as part of appraisal processes. It outlines the way in which some indigenous groups in Australia have sought to enhance the extent and impact of their involvement in project appraisal processes in the face of continuing and serious barriers to their effective participation. The chapter draws on the experience of Aboriginal communities on Cape York Peninsula in far north Queensland to outline the strategies which indigenous leaders and organizations have used in seeking to overcome obstacles to participation.
