Technology on Country
Helping our people to live and thrive in country.
The CfAT Technology on Country program (ToC) is designed to support Indigenous peoples with the appropriate technologies that help maintain a connection to country, live on country, look after country and culture, thrive on country, and develop sustainable livelihoods on country.
Many Indigenous people in Australia still live close to or on their traditional tribal country.
The CfAT Statement
“Some of us never left our country; some of us walked back to our country during the Homelands Movement from the 1960s onwards; and some of us are still fighting to get back on our country. All of us work hard to continue our connections to Country with limited support.
Many of us live in larger remote communities, and some in very remote homelands and outstations. Over recent times, Indigenous rangers and land and sea management programs have emerged to play a strong role in enabling our people continue to connect to and live on country. This has allowed us to create meaningful jobs that help us look after our culture and traditional knowledge by also looking after our land and sea country.”
Since the 1980s , CfAT has been a leader in working with Indigenous peoples on country to develop and build appropriate technologies that are affordable, durable, and easy to operate and maintain.
CfAT continues to develop, lead and manage a number of projects under the Technology on Country program, which is supported by the technical knowledge and expertise held by our award-winning, 100% Indigenous-owned engineering company Ekistica, as well as a range of other knowledge partners.
The program is about helping people build the necessary infrastructure, housing, and essential services to live on country; while appropriating the technologies needed to support sustainable livelihoods that help people thrive on country.
The Lama Lama community planning.
Technology Focus Areas
CfAT’s Technology on Country program is broken down into the following technology focus areas:
Transport and Mobility
Planning, Livelihoods and Engagement
Project Types
CfAT creates an impact by undertaking projects involving:
Research and development
Directing and creating the knowledge and appropriate technology that Indigenous people need on country.
Capacity building
Training and transferring the skills required to benefit from and self-manage appropriate technology, while building the skills to appraise and appropriate technology.
Applied technology
Project managing the delivery, construction, installation, and implementation of appropriate technology on country.
Knowledge Partnerships
CfAT develops and maintains partnerships that provide the technical expertise to support projects relating to its technology focus areas. Current partnerships and collaborations include: