Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy
Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP
Senator for Victoria, Senator Jana Stewart
More than 1,000 new Indigenous ranger jobs will be created across the country, with the Albanese Labor Government investing $355 million over four years to expand the Indigenous Rangers Program.
First Nations women will make up the vast majority of the new full-time, part-time and casual roles, with up to 770 Indigenous ranger positions.
115 projects will receive funding including 35 in Queensland, 23 in Western Australia, 21 in New South Wales, 12 in Northern Territory, 11 in South Australia, 9 in Victoria and 4 in Tasmania.
This marks the first time in more than a decade that new ranger groups have been able to apply to join the Commonwealth Indigenous Rangers Program.
This expansion round also includes grants of up to $50,000 per year over four years to strengthen ranger groups and support their long-term sustainability.
The Albanese Government is investing a total of $1.3 billion to 2028 in the Indigenous Rangers Program with aims to double the number of Indigenous rangers by the end of the decade.
Women Indigenous rangers play an important role in ensuring the protection of sacred women's sites and the preservation of important cultural knowledge and practices.
For more than 65,000 years, First Nations people have been caretakers of Australia's land, rivers, seas, flora and fauna.
Indigenous rangers continue this legacy today, managing Country according to Traditional Owners' objectives combined with modern conservation training.
They use traditional knowledge and cultural practices, and Western science, to manage land, river and sea Country and deliver environmental, cultural, social and economic development outcomes for First Nations communities.
