The Federal government has announced $100 Million dollars per year of funding for the next seven years into a national Indigenous park ranger program for Australia’s national parks.
The $700 million dollars will fund over 800 jobs in areas such as controlling feral species, bush regeneration, fire management and protection of cultural sites.
Patrick O’Leary from Pew Charitable Trust said that Indigenous rangers are responsible for nearly half of the nation’s protected areas. Mr O’Leary says "the Australian environment needs active management every day, you've literally got to have boots on the ground to do that. Not just for fire but for a whole range of other pressures.".
Environment Minister Sussan Ley said local rangers have a beneficial local knowledge of country. "Traditional knowledge is helping to inform modern environmental science in managing our landscapes, protecting native species, and in the ways we adapt to changing climates," Ms Ley said.