Funding to boost ranger jobs and training

Premier Mark McGowan has praised the Aboriginal Ranger Program and the commitment and connection indigenous Australians are showing to their lands as the first round of funding applications closed.

With $20 million pledged to the program for five years from 2017-18, Mr McGowan explained to members how exactly the latest round of funding would benefit communities in the Pilbara and Kimberley.

“The indigenous ranger jobs will require accredited conservation and land management qualifications, and this funding will assist Aboriginal men and women to get that training,” he said.

“This funding will allow Aboriginal rangers to be employed in greater numbers and trained in a range of land and sea management initiatives, including tourism operations, land management, and protecting and conserving important cultural and environmental parts of Western Australia.”

The latest round of funding, which closed last week, will see $4 million injected into Aboriginal ranger programs across the State.

Mr McGowan went on to praise rangers across the State, saying they had a deep connection to their lands.

“I have met Aboriginal rangers in a range of locations over the years and I always get the sense that the men and women involved have a deep feeling of pride in their job,” he said.

“They are interested in demonstrating this by showing and educating people about the innate value of the land on which they live and work.”