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The current environmental crisis is felt acutely across Australia through increased droughts, bush fires, severe loss of biodiversity, the poor state of Australian soils and climate change. Farming and land management practices that are more regenerative and environmentally harmonious are being sought. There is increasing recognition that traditional land management approaches practiced by First Nations peoples across Australia can help address these challenges. Many land management activities revolve around the wet season and fire season. What solutions can you come up with that can aid sustainable and traditional approaches to food production and land management in Cape York?

Kim works to support Traditional Owner groups returning to Country through pro bono engineering programmes, by linking engineering companies and professionals with the communities and helping them identify what their needs and aspirations are. To date they have worked on water, sanitation, renewable energy supplies and ranger base designs.

Learn about the demographics of Cape York, including key information on language, age, ethnicity and disability prevalence, which will shape your understanding of the social and cultural norms of the area.

The design brief covers eight key challenge areas. You can focus on one challenge area, or have a solution that addresses multiple. The decision is up to you.

Explore the areas below to learn more about Cape York and its Indigenous communities; including demographics, geography and the history of the area.

The Cape York Peninsula is a true peninsula, extending 800km from the Australian mainland into the Torres Strait, surrounded by water on most of its borders and connected to the mainland at the northeastern coast of Australia, stretching 650km wide.

Under the Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Programme, ownership and management of land is returned to “Aboriginal freehold land”.

This year’s Engineering for People Design Challenge features the Cape York Peninsula in North Queensland, Australia. Delivered in collaboration with the CfAT, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander controlled not-for-profit organisation which “exists to support people in regional and remote Australia in the choices they make in order to maintain their relationship with Country”. Explore the content to understand the context and opportunities for improvement as identified by the people who live there, then, get designing!