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Involved in the establishment of the Indigenous Protected Areas program in the mid 1990s, Mr Rose is proud to see how much the initiative has grown.
An Indigenous Protected Area is land or sea Country managed by Traditional Owners under an agreement with the federal government for biodiversity conservation. There are now more than 90 IPAs in Australia covering over 110 million hectares of land and sea Country.
"More than 50 per cent of Australia's total protected areas are IPA's, which is extremely pleasing to see," Mr Rose told AAP. "The work of these Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rangers, who are on the front lines of climate change is invaluable but has, in many ways, gone unrecognised", Mr Rose said.
"The broader public need to recognise the contributions of Indigenous land owners and managers," he said. "They are contributing their land for the broader benefit of all Australians in order to protect threatened species and combat the impacts of climate change and other issues like feral animals."
To help achieve this mission, a documentary created by ranger organisation Country Needs People is sharing the stories of Traditional Owners and land managers across Australia.
Keeping Country Strong shows the value of IPAs through the eyes of these rangers working to protect their lands and waters.
"It's a small snapshot of a lot of great work that Indigenous people are doing around the country," Mr Rose said. "It's going to show that there's a whole diverse range of activities that occur on Country that are for the benefit of all Australians, not just for Indigenous land owners."
Mr Rose has helped manage his Gunditjmara Country in southwest Victoria, home to the World Heritage-listed Budj Bim, where one of the oldest dated aquaculture systems on Earth can be found. He knows how important the work of local rangers is, not just to the environment but the cultural and social impacts for communities, especially in remote regions where employment opportunities are limited. "I see it with our rangers at Budj Bim; they have a pride in the work they're doing," Mr Rose said. "There's a real need for these jobs and that needs to be emphasised."
In March, the federal government announced a $250 million budget investment to protect millions of hectares of bushland. Then environment minister Tanya Plibersek said the money would help achieve the goal of protecting 30 per cent of Australia's lands and seas by 2030.
Mr Rose stressed the importance of continuing to invest in ranger programs and IPAs, saying these initiatives needed to be adequately resourced and rangers recognised for their important work.
"It's not just a numbers game, it's not just about 100 million hectares of land," he said. "It's about that land being managed well and that does require resources."
Keeping Country Strong aired on NITV on Monday 13th October 2025, and is now available to stream on SBS OnDemand.
Read the full AAP story by Keira Jenkins in the Canberra Times here
Banner Image: Gunditjmara Traditional Owner Denis Rose. Photo: Annette Ruzicka
We pay our respects to all the First Nations people around Australia and their unbroken commitment to keep Country strong on land and sea. We acknowledge Indigenous partners, Traditional Owners, Elders past, present and emerging and extend our appreciation of their support and guidance of our daily work.
