Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Professional Development Unit (PDU) has been contracted by the NSW Aboriginal Land Council to develop a training and development strategy for Aboriginal Land Councils. The PDU will evaluate the current training packages, make recommendations for the development of new ones to fill any gaps and provide recommendations regarding delivery schedules and methods. Pat Bradbery, manager of the PDU at Bathurst CSU, says this is an important step for the PDU in its efforts to develop targeted business-related courses for Indigenous people. “The PDU will ensure the training is aligned with the Aboriginal Land Rights Act (ALRA) with the object of making the local Aboriginal Land Councils more effective and efficient in carrying out their work which primarily is to acquire and manage land on behalf of Aboriginal people.” He says the strategy can’t be the same for all as Land Councils can vary considerably. “It certainly is an interesting project because of the ALRA requirements. It is very different to developing a training strategy for a corporate customer. Because of the community involvement in Local Aboriginal Land Councils, we need to be conscious of what the executive wants as well as what the rank and file members desire,” Mr Bradbery added.