Partner Spotlight: Spinifex Land Management

Country Needs People's Partner Spotlight series gives insights each edition into one of our partners, and the important work they do to protect Country.

Country Needs People work alongside a growing network of over 50 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partner organisations, from Indigenous land and sea management organisations, to Indigenous Ranger Teams, to Local Aboriginal Land Councils and Aboriginal and Torres Strait organisations.

In today's Partner Spotlight, we focus on Spinifex Land Management / Pila Nguru.

Who are Spinifex Land Management?

Spinifex Land Management are part of Pila Nguru Aboriginal Corporation, located in Spinifex Country in the heart of the Great Victoria Desert in WA. It includes Tjuntjuntjara, one of the most remote communities in Australia.

Anangu Tjutaku Indigenous Protected Area. Courtesy of DCCEEW.

What's their Country like?

Spinifex people manage the enormous 9.75 mill ha Anangu Tjutaku Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), the third largest IPA in Australia - almost 1.5x the size of Tasmania! Spinifex Rangers live in and care for desert Country of great cultural and ecological importance. Their IPA is home to vast spinifex grasslands dotted with larger desert trees, and also includes dunefields, rock holes and dry lakes that fill after rain.

Spinifex Country. Photo: Alan McDonald.

What's their key focus?

The Spinifex Rangers focus on managing Waru (fire), Kapi (water), Kuka (bush meat), Mai and Ngankari (plant foods and medicines), Punu (vegetation), threatened species, and invasive species.

Spinifex in Mallee Woodland, Spinifex Country. Photo: Alan McDonald.

Buffel grass is a real threat on Spinifex Country and so are feral camels. All credit to the Spinifex Rangers who are actively working to bring down the numbers of camel which are destroying precious waterholes and native foods like quandongs.

Spinifex Rangers at their IPA Dedication Ceremony, 2022. Photo: Liam Byrne.

For more information about Spinifex Land Management / Pila Nguru you can visit their website here.

For more information about Country Needs People's partners visit our page here.

KEY POINTS

Spinifex Land Management are part of the Pila Nguru Aboriginal Corporation in the Great Victorian Desert in WA.
Spinifex people manage the third largest Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) in Australia – the enormous 9.75 mill ha Anangu Tjutaku IPA.
The Spinifex Rangers focus on managing Waru (fire), Kapi (water), Kuka (bush meat), Mai and Ngankari (plant foods and medicines), Puṉu (vegetation), threatened species, and invasive species.

Indigenous protected areas Partner Spotlight WA Western australia desert Spinifex Land Management Pila Nguru

Country Needs People is a national not-for-profit organisation born from the support of hundreds of Traditional Owners around the country.

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.

ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE, ABORIGINAL LAND.