Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Morrison government is providing almost $1 million to support the Tjaltjraak Indigenous ranger team in the Esperance region of Western Australia. This will inspire and empower Esperance traditional owners to protect and conserve their land and sea.

There is an unacceptably high level of disadvantage in the Esperance Aboriginal community, with unemployment rates of up to 50 per cent. With half of the Esperance Aboriginal community under the age of 19, there is an opportunity for this next generation to overcome the disadvantage experienced by their elders. To that end, I've been working hard since 2018 to support the Tjaltjraak ranger program. On a personal note, I was honoured to be invited by elder Doc Reynolds to go out on country with the Tjaltjraak ranger team to learn the cultural burning practices they have been carrying out for over 40,000 years.

Along with chairperson Gail Reynolds-Adamson and CEO Peter Bednall from Tjaltjraak, it was a privilege to host the Hon. Ken Wyatt, federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, in Esperance recently. We visited the Tjaltjraak offices, inspected their new premises and discussed the size of their land area and the diversity of the projects they'll be working on. We then joined the Tjaltjraak rangers atop Dempster Head for a welcome to country followed by morning tea overlooking the stunning Recherche archipelago. It was the perfect setting to announce secure, ongoing funding under the federal Indigenous ranger program for this group to be able to perform on-country habitat restoration, do cultural survey work and host job-training activities that could lead to employment opportunities and business ownership.

Ranger projects strengthen communities in several ways. As well as the ecological, environmental and cultural benefits, the program will provide employment and broader economic development for the community. This funding will also ensure that the Tjaltjraak rangers can continue their role in fire mitigation work, cultural burning and the rehabilitation of areas affected by bushfires, following their collaboration with fire management authorities during local bushfire emergencies.

After the announcement, female rangers conducted a bush tucker and medicine display at the Esperance Wildflower Show, which was well received by locals and tourists alike. Their presentation included the use of local bush plants and flowers as medicine, food and even building materials.

Minister Wyatt finished his visit with a stakeholder lunch. It was a fantastic event with participants like Esperance Care Services, Hope Community Services, the Esperance Girls Academy, Escare and the Esperance Nyungar Aboriginal Corporation. All were very grateful for the minister's generosity with his time and for the opportunity to showcase their hard work and discuss their needs and opportunities moving forward.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the key stakeholders in the Esperance community for the valuable work they do and to thank Minister Wyatt for working with me to help meet the aspirations of the Esperance Aboriginal community.