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October 8, 2025
The value of Indigenous Protected Areas will be shown to the nation when Country Needs People’s new documentary Keeping Country Strong premieres on NITV on Monday 13th October at 8:30pm, and then streams on SBS OnDemand.
Keeping Country Strong takes you on a sweeping journey across Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) from the heart of the desert to the islands and estuaries of Sea Country with Indigenous Rangers and Traditional Owners sharing a very personal insight of just what Country means to them. Narrated by Elaine Crombie, audiences will travel into the ancient aquaculture system of Budj Bim IPA in SW VIC, meet Indigenous Rangers and scientists working together on mangrove restoration on the Gaagal Wajaarr proposed Sea Country IPA in Coffs Harbour, encounter critical feral cats management on Lungtalanana in Tasmania, and experience the stunning remote desert Country of Anangu Tjutaku IPA and Ngururrpa IPA. Along the way learn how Indigenous Protected Areas protect nature and culture on Mayala IPA and SE Arnhem Land IPA, fall in love with some precious endangered critters, and be transported to the Tiwis, where Traditional Owners are experiencing firsthand the impact of Climate Change.
There are now 93 Indigenous Protected Areas across Australia, spanning over 110 million hectares of land and sea and covering over half of Australia’s reserves on land. Indigenous Rangers are on the frontline. Working in some of the most remote corners of the planet they are safeguarding endangered species, fighting wildfires and invasive species, and sustaining cultural connection to Country in the face of a changing climate.
Keeping Country Strong was created by Country Needs People with Director/Producer Bettina Jarratt to help raise awareness of the importance of Indigenous Protected Areas, and ensure they’re secured into the future. With a World Premiere at the Beyond Borders International Documentary Festival in Greece, Keeping Country Strong has screened to sell-out audiences at ACMI and the National Museum of Australia, and is coming up at Randwick Ritz.
More than anything, Keeping Country Strong is a call to action, for everyday Australians to get behind Australia’s First Peoples and make sure Indigenous-led land and sea management is backed into the future.
“First Nations landowners are contributing their land, knowledge and efforts towards the betterment of Australia’s biodiversity” says Gunditjmara Traditional Owner Denis Rose in the film. “It can't just be a numbers game. We need to make sure that we hold the government to account and make sure that they give us appropriate resources that we can rely upon.”
“Indigenous Protected Areas are being relied on to play a crucial role in the Australian Government’s commitment to protect 30% of land by 2030.”, says Paddy O’Leary, CEO of Country Needs People. “It’s no small task to run complex land and sea management in locations already experiencing multiple issues such as chronic housing shortages, poor service provision and climate change impacts.”
“It’s critical that the federal environment department is adequately staffed and equipped to better support IPAS and the Rangers that work in them, and that IPA funding is secure over the long term, which will in turn lead to the ongoing success of Indigenous-led land and sea management, yielding environmental dividends for generations to come.”
Led by a majority Indigenous board, Country Needs People is a leading national non-profit non-partisan organisation committed to Indigenous Land & Sea Management. Alongside 50 Indigenous Partners Country Needs People works to grow, strengthen and advocate for Indigenous Rangers, to ensure Traditional Owners and their organisations are properly supported to deliver land and sea management Australia-wide.
More information about Keeping Country Strong here
Photo: Budj Bim Indigenous Protected Area. 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.
