The Northern Territory government has followed through on an election pledge to provide millions of dollars in new grants to Aboriginal ranger groups.
Nunggubuyu woman Selena Uibo, the Labor minister for both Aboriginal Affairs and Parks and Rangers, announced the funding today, a total of $11.9 million over four years.
"What the grants allow us to do is support the work of the ranger groups who do a lot of conservation and land management projects. It's also open to infrastructure and equipment grant funding applications," the minister told NITV.
There are approximately 47 ranger groups in the NT, employing around 1000 rangers engaged in fire and feral animal management, environmental conservation, and cultural heritage protection.
Nationally the ranger groups are funded by a federal program, but Ms Uibo says the grants go towards one-off needs to facilitate or enhance projects undertaken.
"So we've had boats purchased, vehicles, radio equipment so rangers can do the important work they do on Country."
While the ranger program focusses on the sustainable management of Country and endangered species support, it also seeks to protect and promote Indigenous cultural heritage.
"One of the projects in my electorate in Ngukurr, the Yugul Mangi rangers documented rock art and cave paintings, and using special UV lights, you get to see the many different layers of rock art that they’re trying to analyse, the different periods of the layers that have been exposed," Ms Uibo told NITV.
"So a really cool innovative project... it's not just land management, there's a cultural heritage and language element to that conservation and preservation."