Regional Economic Solutions

14/09/2026

Indigenous Business Month is nearly here, and the team at Regional Economic Solutions is excited to be celebrating at the Rockhampton Indigenous Business Month Celebrations.

We are especially excited to share that our Executive Director, Leann Wilson, is passing the microphone to our Senior Manager, Jeremy Marou, who will be stepping into the role of panel facilitator after Leann has expertly hosted the thought-provoking discussions for several years.

Join us for an inspiring evening of connection, conversation and celebration of Indigenous businesses and leaders.

📅 Friday 16 October 2026
🕠 From 5.30pm
📍 Frenchville Sports Club, Rockhampton

Register today: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1568149

We cannot wait to celebrate with you.

10/09/2026

Ask your mob, in your way, R U OK?

Use these four steps and have a conversation that could change a life:

1. Ask R U OK?
2. Listen
3. Encourage action
4. Check in

You can learn more or find tips at RUOK.ORG.AU.

04/08/2026

Recently, the Regional Economic Solutions (RES) team travelled to Dubbo, NSW (Wiradjuri Country) as part of an exciting project involving the South & Central Queensland Regional Forestry Hub (SCQLD Forestry Hub), Native Secrets and the Cherbourg community.

During the visit, we had the privilege of meeting with two outstanding Aboriginal-owned businesses, Native Secrets and Fletchers, to learn more about how industry, innovation and community leadership can come together to create sustainable economic opportunities.

Native Secrets, founded and owned by Phil Thompson and Cherie Thompson, is a native essential oils and botanicals company combining state-of-the-art technology with knowledge of Australian medicinal plans developed and preserved for over more than 65,000 years. Its work demonstrates how commercial innovation can go hand-in-hand with caring for and rehabilitating Country.

Mayor of Cherbourg Bruce Simpson joined RES for the visit to explore how similar community-owned and community-led operations could be developed in and around Cherbourg, including opportunities to make productive use of local timber resources. By building relationships with Aboriginal businesses, industry partners and other stakeholders, Mayor Simpson is helping to lay the foundations for new economic opportunities for the people of Cherbourg and the broader region.

We are grateful to Native Secrets and Fletchers for sharing their experiences and visions for the future and we look forward to supporting the next steps in this important work.

04/07/2026

At Regional Economic Solutions, we are proud to recognise and celebrate NAIDOC Week 2026. This year’s theme “50 Years of Deadly” marks five decades of NAIDOC Week- a powerful milestone that honours the survival, resistance, culture and pride of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across generations. It is a reminder that the strength and leadership of First Nations communities have always been at the heart of this nation, and it is a responsibility we carry into our work every single day. We remain committed to fostering genuine partnerships, championing First Nations-led economic opportunities, and ensuring that self-determination is not just a value we speak to - but one we actively deliver on.

We encourage everyone to take part this week:
• Attend a local NAIDOC event- visit the NAIDOC website to find celebrations and activities happening near you.
• Support First Nations businesses- make a conscious choice to engage with and invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned businesses in your community.
• Learn something new- explore First Nations histories, cultures, and perspectives through books, documentaries, and community-led resources.
• Share and amplify- use your voice and your networks to celebrate and elevate First Nations achievements and stories this week and beyond.

As we honour fifty years of this incredible legacy, we also look forward- walking together toward a future shaped by the next generation with courage, insight, and deep respect for Country. Happy NAIDOC Week from all of us at Regional Economic Solutions.

Learn more about NAIDOC and this year’s theme: https://www.naidoc.org.au/

01/07/2026

Congratulations to our Executive Director, Leann Wilson and co-authors Dr Rose Barrowcliffe and Charlene Berndt on the publication of their chapter, "Green Ribbon and Blue Ribbon Stories in Archives”, in The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Cultural Heritage and Conflict.

The Green Ribbon and Blue Ribbon Stories is a conceptual framework derived from Bidjara teachings. While sharing similarities with societal and parallel provenance, the framework is uniquely Indigenous and offers a powerful approach to interpreting archival records through an Indigenous worldview.

Particularly relevant in settler-colonial contexts, the framework supports truth-telling by providing a right-of-reply process that challenges interpretations based solely on colonial perspectives. Drawing on evidence from the Building on the Strength of Our Stories training, the chapter demonstrates how Indigenous archival concepts can deepen understanding of historical records and their impacts.

To read the chapter go to

The Green Ribbon and Blue Ribbon Stories is a conceptual framework derived from Bidjara teachings. The conceptual framework has similarities with societal provenance and parallel provenance but is derived from Bidjara teachings and is uniquely Indigenous. The Green...

18/06/2026

RES’ Managing Director Dr Ivan Ingram was pleased to present at AIATSIS Summit 2026 on his First Nations Autonomy Framework, developed through his work across native title law and governance practice, and detailed in his forthcoming book First Nations Autonomy and Native Title: A Framework for Measuring Self-Determination (Federation Press).

The session explored a practical diagnostic approach for assessing the extent to which the native title system enables or constrains First Nations autonomy. The Framework examines four interconnected domains – People, Territory, Institutions, and Diplomacy – through three analytical dimensions: legal recognition, capability and capacity, and practical implementation. Applied together, these elements provide a structured way to identify where constraints arise, how they interact across domains, and what responses may be required to support stronger self-determination outcomes.

The presentation also outlined how the Framework can be used in practice by communities, organisations and practitioners for assessment, planning, advocacy, and institutional development across native title and broader land, cultural heritage, and governance contexts. Grounded in Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Data Governance principles, the approach is designed to ensure that insights arising from diagnostic assessments remain under the control of the communities undertaking the assessment.

Thank you to everyone who attended the session and contributed to the discussion.

📷 Thank you to Rema for taking the photos.

17/06/2026

On Thursday 4 June, RES’ Managing Director Dr Ivan Ingram presented at the AIATSIS Summit 2026 alongside Director of Indigenous Country and Governance (AIATSIS), Felicity Thiessen, sharing preliminary observations from the 2025-26 National PBC Survey.

As the only national research initiative designed to hear directly from prescribed bodies corporate (PBCs) at scale, the survey provides valuable insight into the experiences, priorities, challenges, and aspirations of organisations responsible for holding and managing native title.

The session explored emerging findings on PBC capability, funding, governance, and future priorities, while highlighting the importance of consistently listening to and learning from the organisations at the centre of the native title system.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the discussion. We look forward to the publication of the final report and the important insights it will provide for the sector.

📷 Thank you to Rema for taking the photos.

16/06/2026

On Wednesday 3 June, at the AIATSIS Summit 2026, RES’ Managing Director Dr Ivan Ingram presented alongside the National Native Title Tribunal’s Native Title Registrar Katie Stride on the evolving intersection of Indigenous Data Sovereignty, native title records, and artificial intelligence.

The session explored the importance of Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Data Governance in the management of native title records, as well as the opportunities and challenges emerging through digitisation and artificial intelligence.

As the native title sector navigates new technologies, ensuring Indigenous interests remain central to the governance, access and use of data will be critical.

Thank you to everyone who attended the session and contributed to the discussion.

📸 Thank you to Rema for taking the photo.

09/06/2026

Applications are now open for the 2026 Purple Medicine Leaves Bursaries.

First Nations women who are medical graduates or in their final year of an Australian medical degree are encouraged to apply before Monday 29 June 2026.

This year, at least five bursaries valued at $1,500 each will be awarded, with successful recipients announced during NAIDOC Week (7–13 July 2026).

The bursaries are designed to support and empower First Nations women pursuing careers in medicine. To learn more about the impact of the program, read about Dr Loyola Wills, who was the guest speaker at the Queensland Medical Women Society's Dinner Meeting in August 2025, and who spoke about her experience as a bursary recipient at the recent May 2026 Dinner Meeting: https://afmw.org.au/introducing-dr-loyola-wills-purple-bush-medicine-leaves-bursary-recipient-2024-2025/

Regional Economic Solutions is proud to sponsor and support this important initiative, helping to create greater opportunities and foster more inclusive and diverse leadership within the medical profession.

For more information or to apply, visit https://afmw.org.au/purple-bush-medicine-leaves-bursary-program-2026-applications-now-open/

08/06/2026

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Clare Sayers as Senior Manager at Regional Economic Solutions.

Clare joins us with extensive legal, advisory and research experience across native title, cultural heritage, natural resources and renewable energy, and PBC engagement and will play an important role in supporting our continued growth and success.

Commenting on the appointment, Managing Director, Dr Ivan Ingram said "Clare brings skills that strengthen our advisory work with clients, and I am very pleased to have her on the team. Clare's technical experience is considerable, just as importantly, she has engaged and worked well with communities across her career. That combination is exactly what we are known for."

Commenting on the appointment, Clare said:

"My main aspiration is to meaningfully contribute my skills and experience to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in pursuing self-determination, particularly through pathways that build towards economic sovereignty and create long-term opportunities. At this stage of my career, I am passionate about supporting prescribed bodies corporate and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities to build internal capability and strengthen the foundations needed to pursue their own aspirations and priorities. This includes working alongside proponents and similar organisations to help foster stronger understanding, more effective engagement, and better outcomes for all.

I enjoy working in this space because it is both rewarding and meaningful. I’ve had the privilege of meeting remarkable people, travelling to many parts of Australia, and continually learning through those experiences. It is also an important area of work. While Australia has a complex history and there is still much progress to be made, I strongly believe that better outcomes and brighter futures can be achieved when we all work together.”

Please join us in welcoming Clare Sayers to the team.