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Hello again to all Country Needs People supporters in what feels like a year that’s travelling very fast. Since the last update there’s been a lot happening.
We were reflecting in the team about the growth of Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) nationally. In the last short period, we’ve seen IPA launches of new or revised protected areas by the Ngurra Kayanta mob in WA, Mimal and Laynhapuy in Arnhem Land NT, Umpila in Cape York, the Simpson Desert in central NT, and more recently South-East Arnhem Sea Country IPA launched at Numbulwar NT. Read more here.
All these IPAs required years of work by Traditional Owners and their support organisations to map out or review their plans for managing Country, biodiversity outcomes, and cultural continuity and protection that land and sea needs. Typically working with other stakeholders in ways that build better cross cultural and institutional collaboration that benefits Country, but also every Australian who wants a healthier environment.
Your support for CNP has helped directly and indirectly by allowing us to provide assistance often at the IPA planning stage through extending expert advice, or through the advocacy you’ve supported us to do by signing petitions to keep the pressure on pollies so that federal funding for IPAs is secure and growing. IPAs play a significant role in the Federal Government’s ability to meet targets as part of its aim to protect 30% of Australia by 2030.
But it’s worth remembering that the momentum for IPAs was started well before that target was ever announced, and comes directly from Traditional Owners’ intrinsic commitment to protect their own Country.
At the same time Indigenous Rangers and IPAs across Australia are on the bird flu frontline, as the eyes and ears of Country they’re witnessing the growing threat of H5N1 bird flu, which will cause major mortality in our native birds and mammals. In the short-term Ranger teams are doing what they can to observe, report, and coordinate response around mortality events-like this great initiative by Gumbaynggirr Rangers at Coffs Harbour, but in the medium-to-longer term this is about better management of Country to give our wildlife populations the best chance of bouncing back.
Reducing feral impacts from cats, buffalo, camels, rabbits, goats, pigs, tackling the spread of invasive weeds like buffel and gamba grass among others, managing fire, protecting threatened species habitat, this is all about how we tackle the long-term response in Australia. For that we need federal and state governments to step up with secure funding arrangements that allow Indigenous Rangers and IPAs to strengthen their on-ground or on-sea operations. There needs to be a permanent increase in effort in the face of rising pressures including climate change.
If we want our biodiversity to be resilient, we have to support resilient, community-based Indigenous land and sea management and the host organisations that support it. Read more in our bird flu Media Release.
We are looking next to the NSW Government as one example where we think serious gains can be made by building a support unit with the state environment department to deliver practical backup to community-based Indigenous Ranger teams statewide. It’s an important time for NSW over the next six months and we’ll be wanting to see some concrete action to boost the state’s contribution. Let’s just say at the moment Queensland is leaving NSW in the dust when it comes to support for community-based Indigenous Rangers, and this is one State of Origin battle where NSW is miles behind!
Stay tuned for more communication from us on this soon, because if you are a NSW resident, we will definitely need your help.
We haven’t forgotten about the rest of Australia either. With Indigenous Ranger and IPA contracts currently up for renewal in 2028, it’s time now for the Federal Government to start early preparation for the ongoing security, renewal and growth of the federal Indigenous Rangers and IPA program. We’ll be putting federal pollies of all stripes on notice about the importance of those key backbone programs and their future.
Thankyou as always to all our network partner groups and individual supporters. We are strong believers here at CNP that Indigenous land and sea management and protection needs to be treated as the valuable public asset that it is, benefiting all Australians, and that governments need to elevate, fund and secure it as a serious priority for public policy as it deserves.
We can’t do it without you, and we’ll keep you posted about simple actions you can take to help us achieve that goal.
-Paddy O'Leary
CEO, Country Needs People.
Web Banner: Gabriel Guyula and Marcia Malibirr, Arafura Swamp Rangers. 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.
