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The new year has started with a rush it seems, and while I was lucky to get an extended break over January, the Country Needs People team was working from early in the new year to keep the support up to Traditional Owners caring for Country across Australia.
Our team at CNP has been busy providing a variety of assistance to groups planning for Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) around Australia. In January the Federal Government opened a new round of IPA funding for applications from Traditional Owner groups. Country Needs People has consistently pushed to increase the quantity of IPA funding available to the sector - not only to support an increase in the growth of IPAs nationally, given their positive outcomes for nature, people and culture, but to ensure each IPA has sufficient operational funding to ensure better management.
It’s good to see that our consistent advocacy contributes to more IPA opportunities at the grassroots for Traditional Owners.
Our national IPA network has now grown to 95 operational IPAs across Australia covering 108Mha of land and over 6Mha of sea. Many more IPAs are in the planning stage. Groups funded for IPA planning need to undertake a thorough process of IPA management plan drafting, through extensive consultation with their Traditional Owner community. The plans incorporate both Indigenous governance structures and modern management principles, and address priorities to protect culture and biodiversity in the designated IPA area.
It’s a challenging process that typically takes years and requires ongoing revision over time to address changes in land and sea environments as well as the changing capacity of the Indigenous organisations overseeing the IPA.
Listen to our Chair Bhiamie Williamson discuss IPAs on Late Night Live here.
I wanted to also note, and congratulate, the moves from the relevant federal Ministers for both Environment - Senator Murray Watt, and Indigenous Australians - Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, in completing the long called for return of the administration of Indigenous Protected Areas back to the federal Environment Department.
For those of us who have been around the Indigenous land and sea management sector for some decades, we know that the complexity of land and sea conservation, research, cultural management and scientific work that is required within IPAs needs support from an oversight agency with genuine capacity to understand the land and sea management operations, both the potential and the challenges, for frontline Traditional Owner groups. We think that will have a much stronger foundation in the long term when IPAs are fully overseen by the federal environment department. We understand that there will be an increase in staff numbers and capacity in the IPA unit within the federal Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy, and Water (DCCEEW) towards the end of this year and we look forward to seeing that.
Our IPA network is now over half of all protected areas on land and growing significantly. We need a professional, well-equipped agency to ensure that Traditional Owners are supported to navigate their way through the many challenges their organisations face protecting nature and culture in a changing and complex environment.
We need to see people back in the equation who see IPAs as more than just numbers, and who are prepared to work alongside Traditional Owners to help them deliver first class land and sea management. As our former Chair, Gunditjmara Elder and long time champion for IPAs, Dr Denis Rose often says,
“Government agency people need to be able to really understand the operational detail of our work to support it properly, come out to our Country, sit down and have a cuppa with us, and really get to know the organisation, the people and the challenges and opportunities we face”. -Denis Rose
Change can sometimes bring disruption, but we are optimistic that this is a positive structural shift in the way government works that will deliver better results for Traditional Owners over time. We think there is further to go on this front to improve delivery of Ranger and IPA support nationally for sure, but for now this is a really welcome step.
There is much more to tell about our work than I can fit here. Queensland is busy rolling out new state funding jobs as part of its very positive Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program and we are assisting new groups where we can; groups all around the country are receiving new federally funded Ranger contracts as part of the commitment to doubling federally funded Indigenous Ranger jobs we secured through advocacy with our partners; there is a buzz of busyness and new opportunities for many organisations.
After a pretty concerning Christmas period with national and international events leaving many of us worried, if not devastated, about the current state of affairs generally, it’s refreshing to know, and important to remember and reinforce, that there are so many Australians working together shoulder-to-shoulder to support a better future for Country and people.
We’re grateful in particular for your ongoing support as we aim to keep the positive energy flowing, together with our national network of partners and friends in Indigenous land and sea management across the beautiful biodiversity and culturally rich land and seascapes we are lucky to call home.
-Paddy O'Leary, CEO, Country Needs People
Banner Image: On Country with Jawajawa Rangers. Photo: Kerry Trapnell.
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.
