Federal ALP Northern Australia Caring for Country Package Welcomed - 05/10/07

The package includes a $90 million commitment to fund Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers, a $50 million package to support the further development and management of Indigenous Protected Areas and a $10 million commitment to support greenhouse friendly fire management strategies.

Northern Australia Campaign Manager for the Wilderness Society, Lyndon Schneiders, said, “This is an excellent policy and funding announcement that will provide benefits for both the environment and for Indigenous communities across the North.”

“It provides an urgently needed funding lifeline for the hundreds of Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers across northern Australia who faced losing employment due to the Federal Government’s decision to wind up the CDEP program.”

The Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers provide a range of vital environmental services including fire management and weed and feral animal management.

“The funding commitment for the Indigenous Protected Areas (IPA) program is also very welcome. Indigenous Protected Areas are one of the great success stories of conservation in Northern Australia.”

A 2006 Commonwealth Government review of the IPA program by Mr. Brian Gilligan found that it achieved important conservation and community benefits whilst being one of the most cost effective conservation strategies in the country.

“The development of a greenhouse emissions program on Indigenous lands provides an urgently needed framework to reduce greenhouse emissions associated with fire management in Northern Australia and will help to support Indigenous communities become part of the future carbon economy across the north.”

For further information or comment contact; Lyndon Schneiders, Northern Australia Campaign Manager, 07 3846 1420