INDIGENOUS RANGERS AND INDIGENOUS PROTECTED AREA PROGRAMS

April 2022

INDIGENOUS RANGERS

On March 29, 2022 the Australian Government committed a further $636.4 million to expand the Indigenous Rangers Program, with an estimated 2,000 additional ranger jobs in regional and remote Australia, to undertake land and sea management and care for country.

The government is delivering on its commitment to long-term funding for the Indigenous Ranger Program.

The Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, stated the

funding out to 2028 will establish new ranger groups, bring more Indigenous women into ranger work, and provide pathways for young people as well as broadening opportunities to develop fee-for-service opportunities. These additional ranger jobs will take the total program to approximately 3,900 ranger jobs by 2028.

It will address the unmet demand for cultural burning and other Indigenous land management expertise in areas outside of the current ranger footprint and also help Australia meet a range of international environmental commitments.

The Indigenous Rangers Program recognises that country, culture and community are intrinsically connected and imperative to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ overall wellbeing.  The ongoing investment in the Indigenous ranger program ensures sustainable jobs for Indigenous Australians by caring for country on country.

As Ranger groups hold deep knowledge of their lands, this traditional knowledge is leading to improvements in modern environmental science and current approaches to managing our landscapes.

Whilst this program cares for country, it also generates economic opportunities and social and cultural benefits for Indigenous peoples that strengthen the wellbeing of communities and benefit Australia as a whole.