As stated in the Heads of Agreement Document, the Alliance will:

• Create opportunities for Indigenous land owners and managers to share experience and knowledge and to facilitate collective action in support of shared objectives.
• Facilitate development of appropriate collaborative working arrangements between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal land management agencies and research bodies.
• Promote wider understanding of the land management needs of Aboriginal landowners.
• Support Indigenous land managers in using both Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge in developing and implementing land management programs.
• Recognise the many levels of leadership and knowledge in Indigenous communities and to support and promote that leadership.
• Assist Indigenous leaders to create opportunities to transfer knowledge and development of leadership across generations (for example family-based “back to country” camps).
• Identify the requirements for the sustainable management of Indigenous natural and cultural resources in the wet–dry tropics and promote broad understanding in government and private sectors of those requirements.
• Seek resources to address Alliance objectives, ensuring that these are additional resources and do not divert funds from on-ground land and sea managers.
• Improve communication and information exchange between Indigenous owners and managers of land and sea.
• Advocate the issues, needs and concerns of Indigenous owners and managers of land and sea and to investigate culturally and commercially appropriate ways to protect Indigenous knowledge.
• Represent Indigenous interests at all levels in institutions to further the aims of the alliance (in the first instance on the board of the CRC for Tropical Savannas Management).
• Explore innovative ways to address the broad spread of Indigenous interests in plants and animals across the wet–dry tropics and their relationship with commercial interests.
• Forge mutually beneficial partnerships with organisations that support the aims of the alliance.
• Ensure that Indigenous people who have completed, are undertaking, or are about to commence training in environmental management at TAFE and tertiary institutions are included in the NAILSMA network.