Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for External Territories) Share this | Hansard source

I was involved in the funding, from a federal government, of the initial ranger programs in the early 1990s. It was part of an employment program. Now, across this country, I think we've got over 123 ranger groups employing over 2½ thousand people, part-time, full-time and casual. Importantly, not too long ago—in fact, the former minister responsible for First Nations people in this country decried the jobs that rangers are doing as not real jobs. Clearly, he had no appreciation of what rangers actually do and didn't understand both the cultural imperative of ranger programs or the social and economic benefits they produce.

A federal government report found that Indigenous land and sea management delivers up to $3 worth of environmental, social and economic value for every $1 spent. Between the 2009 and 2015 financial years, an investment of $35.2 million from government and a range of third parties generated social, economic, cultural and environmental outcomes with an adjusted value of over $96 million. That's very important.

I'm very proud to stand here as a member of the Labor Party and say that during the last election we committed to doubling the number of rangers and IPAs across the country, something that has not been backed up by the current government. I call on the current government: if you are so intent on supporting ranger groups, do the right thing and expand the numbers so that there are more of them around the country, providing worthwhile and proper work, proper jobs, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, whether on the sea or the land.

Ranger jobs are at the front line of nature protection Australia-wide, delivering transformative benefits to the people at the same time. Recently I attended a Northern Land Council rangers program, which was sponsored by the Department of Agriculture, where biodiversity was a key theme. The importance of that was that, some years ago, when they were first established, the utility of ranger programs wasn't properly considered or understood by any Commonwealth government agency, whether it was the department of border protection, the department of customs as it then was, the defence department, the police, or, in this case, the Department of Agriculture. Now things have changed quite substantially. We are now seeing these departments working hand in glove with ranger programs right across the country. It's important.

We visited Jigalong very recently and saw evidence of the ranger program right along the Canning Stock Route. The local ranger group is re-establishing a wallaby population in a huge park there. It's very important work. Over 70 per cent of Indigenous ranger groups have carried out threatened species activities. Around 85 per cent are involved in fire management. Over 80 per cent of ranger groups reported involvement in cultural site management. Over 80 per cent of ranger groups reported managing destructive feral animals. Over 85 per cent of ranger groups undertook invasive weed management. Over half the ranger groups carried out one or more biodiversity surveys, while nearly 80 per cent of groups undertook environmental monitoring. Over 60 per cent of groups have managed tourist facilities, like track repair and maintenance, camp ground maintenance and other access related work, while 50 per cent of groups provided information through signs, ranger talks, websites and pamphlets.

Rangers, due to their work, have high levels of wellbeing. Rangers use cultural knowledge and keep it strong. Rangers strengthen their communities. Rangers pass on knowledge to the next generation. Rangers learn and speak Aboriginal languages. Rangers' work is linked to individual rangers feeling healthier. Rangers are better off, their communities are better off, and the income is often shared. It is of national importance that we appreciate the role of these rangers in environmental protection across this nation. Whether it's in the large IPAs in the Central Desert or those on the coast, it's extremely important that the broader Australian community understands the value of First Nations ranger groups to this country. What they're doing is of benefit to all of us, and looks after and improves the national estate, and we should be very proud of them.

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