The Anangu traditional owners have warmly greeted the establishment of the Central Western Desert Indigenous Protected Area (IPA).
An Indigenous Protected Area is a piece of land or ocean managed by traditional owners for the purpose of conserving biodiversity, under an accord with the Commonwealth Government.
Linda Nakamara Allen is a traditional custodian for the Central Western Desert Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) and has been involved with her team in efforts toward its establishment since 2017.
She expressed feeling immensely proud.
Starting small, it has expanded into something significant and continues to grow.
Lynda Lechleitner, an Anangu Luritjiku facilitator at the Central Land Council, stated that "substantial" effort has been put into the dedication.
She remarked, 'It took quite some time.'
The place where we stand holds importance for the Anangu people in this region.
We’re all just feeling overwhelmed but also incredibly proud and joyous as we celebrate this IPA.
Where can you find the Central Western Desert Indigenous Protected Area?
Spanning 4 million hectares across the Haasts Bluff Aboriginal Land Trust, the Central Western Desert IPA was returned to traditional owners in 1978.
It includes the distant communities of Utju (Areyonga), Ikuntji (Haasts Bluff), Warumpi (Papunya), Watiyawanu (Mount Liebig), and Walungurru (Kintore), along with 40 outstations.
The Central Land Council CEO, Les Turner, stated that the additional IPA acts as a small piece of the puzzle, completing a missing part.
“It adds to our collection of four other IPAs—we’ve got the Southern, Northern Tanami, Angus Downs, Katiti Peterman, and soon we’ll add the Haast’s Bluff one,” he stated.
It's a treasure for everybody.
What is going to occur at the IPA event?
Indigenous Protected Areas are set up through accords between First Nations people and the federal government to oversee and safeguard regions of land and sea for the purpose of biodiversity preservation.
Ms Lechleitner stated that several indigenous species would be safeguarded by the rangers in the Central Western Desert IPA.
"We have the princess parrot, the central rock rat, and also the great desert skink in these regions, however, we have numerous additional projects in mind," she stated.
Ms Nakamara Allen stated that park rangers would likewise safeguard the ecosystem.
She mentioned, 'The waterholes get more damaged each day, every time we return for a visit.'
Previously, they weren’t impaired—I can assure you this as someone who drank from those waterholes growing up.
Today, we are successfully imparting this knowledge to the children, teaching them to gain insights and comprehension that come from their elders.
Feral camels pose a significant danger to the preservation of waterholes in Outback Australia.
Where does the money for IPA funding originate?
Throughout Australia, there are 91 specially designated Indigenous Protected Areas overseen by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, encompassing over 100 million hectares of land and 6 million hectares of marine areas.
The federal government will allocate $231.5 million over half a decade starting July 2023 to keep the IPA initiative running.
The Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirli McCarthy, stated that this initiative offers increased chances for the economic empowerment of First Nations communities.
“The formal recognition of the Central Western Desert IPA acknowledges the significant efforts of traditional owners, Indigenous rangers, and First Nations communities in safeguarding this extensive tract of land for upcoming generations,” she stated.
Ms Lechleitner stated that communities are now focusing on what lies ahead.
She stated, 'This IPA allows us to have our own voice and unites all the communities in taking care of our land.'
This will also speed up the delivery of our work on the ground as we are all aligned with the same strategy.
