Published: 23 Jan 2025
Country Needs People, the national non-profit which supports Aboriginal Rangers, today welcomed the commitment by Premier Roger Cook, Environment Minister Reece Whitby and the WA Labor Party to expand WA’s hugely successful Aboriginal Ranger program with a $20 million investment, should they be re-elected.
“We welcome the commitment by Minister Whitby and the Cook government to strengthen WA’s Aboriginal Ranger Program” said Patrick O’Leary, CEO of Country Needs People. “WA’s Aboriginal Ranger Program has been operating for seven years, funding highly valued remote and regional projects and jobs for Traditional Owners to protect and manage Country.”
From the Kimberley to the South Coast and the desert to the Jarrah forests, Aboriginal Rangers are managing fire, protecting biodiversity and reducing feral animal and invasive weed impacts, protecting nature and culture for all West Australians.
“It’s now really important for every other party and candidate in the upcoming election to clearly state their position on supporting the work of WA’s Aboriginal Rangers”, said Mr O’Leary.
“We’d like to see the funding for this work become permanent and support more secure Ranger jobs into the future because the need for this work is not going away, its only getting more urgent.” said Mr O’Leary.
Michael Woodley CEO of Yindjibarndi Nation in the Pilbara said ‘”As Traditional Owners we have the connection and the responsibility to manage Country. Aboriginal Rangers’ work is imperative and needs a serious investment from government. It’s important that we all work to strengthen the work of Rangers and Traditional Owners in caring for Country across Western Australia”.
“We welcome this commitment. We’re keen to work with whichever government is elected to strengthen Ranger work, and we’d like to hear from all the parties and candidates on how they plan to do that” said Mr Woodley.
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 (which includes Yindjibarndi Nation), 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.
Show your support for WA Aboriginal Rangers and sign our petition here