Aboriginal Ranger Program

The Local Land Services Aboriginal Ranger Program was launched in July 2022 and is being delivered across the Central West, Murray, Riverina and North West Local Land Services (LLS) regions.

The program is designed to enhance Aboriginal people’s connection to Country and provide meaningful career pathways through formal training and implementing learnings across the LLS region.

The objectives of the Aboriginal Ranger Program are to:

• Provide relevant training and on the job experience for Aboriginal people in a culturally safe workplace
• Enhance Local Land Services’ organisational growth through the enactments of the Local Land Services Aboriginal Engagement Strategy:
  • Acknowledge, value and embed Aboriginal cultural knowledge and world views in program delivery and business as usual
  • Respect Aboriginal people’s rights, obligations and roles as Traditional Custodians of the land, sea and waterways
  • Promote and strengthen connections to culture and identity. Prioritise economic independence for Aboriginal people through increased employment and enterprise development
  • Establish and maintain meaningful ongoing relationships with Aboriginal people and Country
  • Recognise appropriate engagement and connection with Aboriginal people and Country as core to our service delivery.
• Provide mentoring and coaching support that is culturally appropriate to enhance learning and work skill development
• Champion opportunities for Aboriginal people and communities to care for Country and enhance contemporary land management practices.

Image: 2022 induction of Aboriginal Rangers at Lake Burrendong

Updates from the Aboriginal Ranger Trainee program July 2023

Read more about the transformations that have been made through the Aboriginal Ranger Program so far.

Central West

Central West LLS Aboriginal Ranger Trainees have been putting their knowledge into practice on a reserve close to Coonabarabran with high biodiversity and Aboriginal cultural values. The reserve is being transformed into a meeting place for the community and outdoor space for practicing traditional Aboriginal customs.

Through the Local Land Services Aboriginal Ranger Program, the site is being fenced off to protect the high value conservation area and cultural heritage sites present through restricting unauthorised vehicle access which will reduce illegal dumping and the general degradation of the site.

The project area will be revegetated, maintained and preserved as a significant cultural space for the whole community.

The program has upskilled participants giving them qualifications and experience through:

• completing a Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management to transform the reserve into a meeting place for people to learn the ways of the “mob”
• creating areas for traditional men’s business and women’s business with dancing circles and yarning circles
• removing rubbish and improving the roads
• cultural burns and continuation of managing pests and weeds on the site
• completing walking tracks with the view to install signage to help educate the community about what they are seeing and Aboriginal cultural practices.

The site is open to pedestrian access with low impact recreation encouraged including bushwalking and cycling.

Rangers Jamie and Jayon the site where they learned erosion control methods as part of their certification

Murray

The team in Deniliquin has located an Aboriginal burial site along a local travelling stock route, and are now working to fence the site to minimise any damage from travelling stock, but also keep vehicles and rubbish off the site.

Other works in the Murray region include:

• managing flora and fauna pests on travelling stock routes
• work with local land holders to help them better manage and deal with pests and weeds, while also keeping fences on stock routes in good condition
• manage drovers and their cattle while they are on travelling stock reserves, including maintaining cattle holding yards and making sure there is a secure water source for them while they are travelling through the area.

More about the program