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| Indigenous Rangers (Working on Country) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Indigenous Rangers (Working on Country) |
| Established | 1995 |
| Area | Australia |
Indigenous Rangers (Working on Country)
Indigenous Rangers (Working on Country) is an Australian land and sea management program engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in cultural, environmental and heritage work across Australia. The program links Traditional Owners, native title holders and community-based organisations with agencies and institutions to manage protected areas, threatened species, fire regimes and cultural sites. It operates alongside initiatives involving the Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, National Indigenous Australians Agency, and regional entities such as the Northern Territory and Queensland land management authorities.
The program supports Indigenous workforce participation through on-Country delivery of conservation and cultural management, integrating knowledge from Aboriginal Australians, Torres Strait Islanders, Yolŋu, Anangu, Tiwi, Wiradjuri, Noongar, Karratha, Kuku Yalanji and many other First Nations communities. It funds ranger groups associated with organisations including the Australian Conservation Foundation, Bush Heritage Australia, Parks Australia, and state agencies like New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, Parks Victoria and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Participants engage with statutory instruments and programs such as the Native Title Act 1993, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and regional land councils like the Northern Land Council and Central Land Council.
Roots trace to cooperative arrangements from the 1970s and 1980s involving groups such as the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 claimants and initiatives like the Working on Country pilots of the 1990s. The program expanded through successive policy frameworks under prime ministers and ministers including Paul Keating, John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison administrations, and through agencies such as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation. It has been shaped by inquiries and reviews including reports from the Productivity Commission, the Commonwealth Ombudsman, and parliamentary committees such as the Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia.
Rangers undertake fire management and cultural burning in collaboration with organisations like the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre and research partners such as the CSIRO and university centres at Australian National University, University of Queensland, University of Western Australia and James Cook University. They conduct biodiversity surveys for species listed under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 including work on threatened fauna like the northern quoll, western swamp tortoise, orange-bellied parrot and marine species such as the dugong and green sea turtle. Activities include invasive species control (working with agencies such as the Invasive Species Council), cultural heritage protection in liaison with the Australian Heritage Council, and management of marine parks under coordination with Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Governance involves federal departments and Indigenous organisations including the National Indigenous Australians Agency, Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation, regional land councils such as the Tiwi Land Council, Anindilyakwa Land Council, and state agencies like the South Australian Department for Environment and Water. Funding streams have included allocations via federal budget measures, grant rounds administered by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and partnerships with philanthropic organisations such as the Ian Potter Foundation and environmental NGOs including World Wide Fund for Nature Australia. Contracts and memoranda of understanding have been negotiated with bodies such as Parks Australia and private sector partners like Origin Energy and BHP in some regions.
Training and certification pathways are delivered through Registered Training Organisations and institutions such as TAFE NSW, TAFE Queensland, Charles Darwin University and vocational programs linked to the National Indigenous Australians Agency. Outcomes include accredited qualifications in conservation and land management, maritime training with links to Australian Maritime Safety Authority standards, and skills for engagement with the Australian Public Service Commission procurement processes. Employment benefits have been documented in reports by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Productivity Commission and Indigenous research centres like the Lowitja Institute, showing impacts on income, health and cultural wellbeing in communities including those serviced by the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands and Torres Strait communities.
The program engages with universities (for example University of Sydney, Monash University), research agencies CSIRO, conservation NGOs such as Australian Wildlife Conservancy and Greening Australia, industry partners including Rio Tinto and energy companies, and international bodies like the United Nations Environment Programme in knowledge exchange. Collaborative projects include joint research with the Bushfire CRC, biodiversity monitoring with the Atlas of Living Australia, and cultural heritage projects involving the Australian Museum and state museums like the South Australian Museum.
Challenges include short-term funding cycles highlighted by the Productivity Commission, disputes over land tenure with stakeholders in cases involving the Mining Act 1978 (WA), tensions around prescribed burning practices debated with state bushfire agencies such as the Rural Fire Service (NSW) and debates in parliament reflected in statements by figures such as Tony Abbott and Mark Butler. Controversies have arisen over adequacy of resourcing raised by organisations including the Australian Conservation Foundation and Amnesty International Australia, and legal complexities intersecting with the Native Title Act 1993 and environmental approvals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Proposals for future reform have been discussed in forums involving the National Indigenous Australians Agency, the Commonwealth Treasury and community stakeholders.