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13 August, 2026
Country Needs People congratulate South East Arnhem Land Traditional Owners on the launch of their new Sea Country Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) today in Numbulwar, which now brings their total IPA mass to a vast 2.6 million hectares.
“Huge congratulations to all the Traditional Owners in South East Arnhem Land who’ve worked so hard over so many years with key support from the Northern Land Council, to make their dream a reality, to include Sea Country in their existing Indigenous Protected Area”, says Patrick O’Leary, CEO of Country Needs People. “With environmentally and culturally significant Sea Country now recognised as part of your IPA, this adds another layer of protection for precious river systems, billabongs, beaches, coastline and islands into the future.”
Stage 1 of the SE Arnhem Land Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) was dedicated in 2015. The Sea Country expansion (Stage 2) spans 861,533ha and has been in development for years, with many Traditional Owners and stakeholders involved. Covering marine areas associated with the ancestral estates of SE Arnhem Land’s Traditional Owners, the Sea Country IPA holds powerful songlines and dreamings. With stunning river systems, billabongs, estuaries, reefs, islands, freshwater floodplains and cays, the Sea Country IPA extends from the high-tide mark seawards to 140 kilometres off the coast, taking in around 300km of coastline in total.
South East Arnhem Land Sea Country IPA covers both subtidal and intertidal zones and has many significant values including extensive seagrass meadows and nationally important mangrove-tidal wetland habitats, and 8 pristine estuaries. It’s also a vital habitat to dugongs, dolphins, nesting flatback, green and olive ridley turtles, seabirds, and hosts four out of five of the world’s sawfish species. The mudflats between Wuyagiba and the lower Roper River are among the most important areas for migratory shorebirds in the NT with the IPA’s freshwater floodplains supporting large numbers of waterbirds from the brolga to jabiru, ducks, magpie geese, and black swans.
There are two Indigenous Ranger teams which care for the SEAL IPA - Numbulwar Numburindi Rangers who are based in Numbulwar, and Yugul Mangi Rangers who operate out of Ngukurr. As well as protecting threatened species, looking after cultural heritage and managing their cool burning program, like many marine areas the region is subject to impacts from invasive species, fishing pressure, ghost nets and marine rubbish, tourism, climate change and cyclones.
With the new addition of the SE Arnhem Sea Country IPA, there is now a large, significant area of Arnhem Land under Indigenous management. Neighbouring IPAs include Mimal IPA (dedicated 2026), Laynhapuy IPA (Stage 1 dedicated 2006, Stage 2 2025), Arafura Swamp IPA (dedicated 2025), Anindilyakwa IPA (dedicated 2006) as well as adjoining land in the region.
“Country Needs People is pleased have provided some support to the team at South East Arnhem Land IPA and the Northern Land Council, working alongside Traditional Owners and the IPA Committee over a number of years”, said Patrick O’Leary. “There is now a significant area of Arnhem Land under protection through the Indigenous Protected Areas program. So it’s more important than ever that these IPA Managers, Rangers and support staff are properly supported by government, to ensure they can continue their critical work protecting the biodiversity and cultural values into the future.”
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.
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.
