Indigenous Protected Areas
Our vision is to protect and enhance our culture and history, while encouraging and protecting the natural environment and conserving biodiversity | Nari Nari Tribal Council
Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) are areas of land and sea managed by Indigenous groups as protected areas for biodiversity conservation through voluntary agreements with the Australian Government.IPAs are an essential component of Australia’s National Reserve System, which is the network of formally recognized parks, reserves, and protected areas across Australia.
There are currently 81 dedicated IPAs over 85 million hectares. These account for more than 49 percent of the National Reserve System
Managing IPAs also helps Indigenous communities protect the cultural values of their country for future generations and results in significant health, education, economic and social benefits. IPAs create jobs for Indigenous men and women - working and looking after their land and sea country. IPA rangers’ employment helps provide financial stability in the community and they are a positive role model for youth. Day-to-day activities on IPAs may include interpretive activities for visitors, protection of rock art, and cultural history and language projects. Traditional bush tucker and medicine knowledge is taught on the country to younger generations..
