Libby Larsen

Biography

Libby was awarded an ARC Laureate PhD Scholarship with the Water Justice Hub in January 2021. Libby’s research proposes to explore Aboriginal ontologies of water and rivers in the Fitzroy River Catchment in Western Australia and how Aboriginal water justice and injustice is understood, conceptualised and achieved at a local level – and realised nationally and internationally.  

Libby has over 15 years of experience in cross and intra-cultural strategic planning, policy research and development in multidisciplinary natural and cultural resource management, research, tourism and community development in a multi-tenured context in Northern Australia. Her professional career spans Far North Queensland, the Kimberley, the Top End and Central Australia.  Collaboration with Aboriginal people and organisations on land and sea management programs, economic development and cultural institutions have been a key focus of her work. 

Libby has worked with both government and non-government organisations, research centres and Aboriginal organisations including Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, the Northern Land Council, Parks Australia at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Territory NRM, the Northern Territory Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture, the Cooperative Centre for Rainforest Ecology and Management and as a consultant. 

Published and unpublished work

Altman, J., Buchanan, G.J. & Larsen, L (2007) The Environmental Significance of the Indigenous Estate: Natural Resource Management as Economic Development in Remote Australia, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research Discussion Paper No 286/2007, The Australian National University: Canberra.

Altman, J., and Larsen, L. (2006) Submission in the Senate Inquiry into Australia’s National Parks, Conservation reserves and Marine Protected Areas. Natural and Cultural Resource Management, Volume 40, Issue 7, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, ANU.

Altman, J., and Larsen, L. (2006) Submission to Indigenous Protected Areas Programme Review. Natural and Cultural Resource Management, Volume 40, Issue 7, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, ANU.

Far North Queensland NRM Ltd and Rainforest CRC. (2004). Sustaining the Wet Tropics, A Regional Plan for Natural Resource Management 2004-2008. FNQ NRM Ltd, Innisfail (co-author)

Larsen, L. (1999). Aspirations to Action: recognition of Indigenous people’s rights and aspirations in the management of hunting and gathering in Queensland national parks, unpublished research project as part requirements for Master of Applied Science, James Cook University, Queensland.

Rainforest CRC (2006) Developing the Wet Tropics Aboriginal Cultural and Natural Resource Management –Workshop Proceedings, Edited by Libby Larsen and Sandra Pannell. Cooperative Centre for Rainforest Ecology and Management, Cairns.

Territory NRM (2016). Northern Territory Natural Resource Management Plan 2016-2020 Arid Lands Region (co-author)

Territory NRM (2016). Northern Territory Natural Resource Management Plan 2016-2020 – Gulf Savanna Region (co-author)

Territory NRM (2016). Northern Territory Natural Resource Management Plan 2016-2020 – Tablelands Region (co-author)

Territory NRM (2016). Northern Territory Natural Resource Management Plan 2016-2020 – Top End Region (co-author)

Wet Tropics Aboriginal Plan Project Team (2005). Caring for Country and Culture – The Wet Tropics Aboriginal Cultural and Natural Resource Management Plan. Rainforest CRC and FNQ NRM Ltd. Cairns. (Principal author)

Wearing, S., and Larsen, L. (1996). Assessing and managing the sociocultural impacts of ecotourism: revisiting the Santa Elena rainforest project. The Environmentalist 16, 117–133. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01325103