Two Northern Territory First Nations communities will share a $30 million funding package as part of Aboriginal Investment NT’s first round of Collective Impact Initiatives, a program designed to back long-term community-led development.
One community in the East Arnhem region and one in Central Australia have been selected to work with Aboriginal Investment NT to identify local priorities and co-design large-scale projects. Each community has already received an initial $1 million to support early planning and engagement, with up to $15 million available to each across the life of the program.
Larrakia and Wulna man Nigel Browne, who took up the role of Aboriginal Investment NT chief executive in March 2025, said “This program is about backing Aboriginal communities to lead their own long-term development.”
Mr Browne argued the investment stemmed from research showing community-led initiatives deliver the best outcomes, and that the partnerships were designed to build lasting economic and social outcomes rather than short-term interventions. He described the Collective Impact Initiatives as representative of one of the corporation’s largest investment strategies.
Aboriginal Investment NT was established in 2021 to manage capital drawn from the Aboriginal Benefits Account, which receives royalties from mining on Aboriginal-controlled land under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. The Aboriginal-controlled corporation manages approximately $680 million in capital and deploys funds through business grants, place-based investments, and Collective Impact Initiatives. Its model seeks to grow the resources and power of Aboriginal people living in the Territory through innovative grant and investment approaches.
The organisation has established a $500 million Future Fund and a $155 million Community Ready Fund to support long-term goals of economic self-management, economic self-sufficiency, and cultural and social wellbeing.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy announced Mr Browne’s appointment as chief executive last year. Senator McCarthy said “Aboriginal Investment NT has a significant agenda to empower Aboriginal Territorians to strategically invest and grow wealth for future generations.”
Round Two of Expressions of Interest for the Collective Impact Initiatives opens on 3 August 2026 and closes on 15 December 2026.
Mr Browne has previously led the Larrakia Development Corporation and served as a director on the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation and the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence. He was named national Indigenous legal professional of the year in 2011.
Aboriginal Investment NT is currently guided by Mr Browne as chief executive and Barbara Shaw as chair. It marks the first time decisions about Aboriginal Benefits Account funds have been made by an Aboriginal-controlled body.
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