Indigenous Protected Areas

An Indigenous Protected Area is a class of protected area

Protected area

Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...

formed by agreement with Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....

, declared by Indigenous Australians, and formally recognised by the Government of Australia

Government of Australia

The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...

as being part of its National Reserve System

Australia's National Reserve System

Australia's National Reserve System is a network of more than 9000 Commonwealth plus state and territory protected areas which, in combination, on a national scale, are hoped to enable more than 89 million hectares unique biodiversity and most significant ecological landscapes to be protected and...

.

By agreeing to establish Indigenous Protected Areas, Aboriginal Australians

Australian Aborigines

Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...

and Torres Strait Islanders

Torres Strait Islanders

Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. They are culturally and genetically linked to Melanesian peoples and those of Papua New Guinea....

have (over the decade 1997-2007) contributed two thirds (2/3) of all new additions to Australia's National Reserve System, and indigenous Australians have therefore made a substantial contribution towards protecting Australia's diverse flora, fauna and eco-systems for future generations.

History

During the 1990s the Australian Government was working in cooperation with State and Territory Governments to build a National Reserve System aimed at protecting, for future generations, a representative sample of Australia's diverse range of flora, fauna and eco-systems

As part of this effort, Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander owners of lands and sea's were asked, and many who were interested in re-establishing effective indigenous land management agreed to participate in this endeavour.

At a national conference of Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders held in 1997, it was agreed and resolved by the delegates present that a new class of 'indigenous' protected area should be formed as follows:

"An Indigenous Protected Area is [to be] governed by the continuing responsibilities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to care for and protect lands and waters for present and future generations."

"Indigenous Protected Areas may include areas of land and waters over which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are custodians, and which shall be managed for cultural biodiversity and conservation, permitting customary sustainable resource use and sharing of benefit."

The first trialing of this new environmental partnership aimed at adding the new class of Protected Areas to Australia's National Reserve System, was with the Adnyamathanha

Adnyamathanha

The Adnyamathanha or Adynyamathanha are an Indigenous Australian people from the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Adnyamathanha is also the name of their traditional language....

people of Nepabunna Aboriginal community volunteering 580 square kilometres of rugged limestone hills, siltstone flats, springs and waterholes between the Flinders Ranges

Flinders Ranges

Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts approximately north west of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna...

and Gammon Ranges National Parks to be managed as an Indigenous Protected Area.

The land selected for the first proposed Indigenous Protected area was held by the South Australian Aboriginal Lands Trust, and, by 26 August 1998, an agreement had been reached to see the Adnyamathanha people of Nepabunna Aboriginal community engaged and some employed in restoring the landscape to its former natural and cultural value, and Australia's first Indigenous Protected Area, the Nantawarrina Indigenous Protected Area was declared.

By 2007 the kind of partnership agreed and started with the Nantawarrina Indigenous Protected Area had grown to include 23 declared Indigenous Protected Areas covering close to 170,000 square kilometres or 23 per cent of the National Reserve System.

Criteria

Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander land and sea owners (including native title holders

Native title

Native title is the Australian version of the common law doctrine of aboriginal title.Native title is "the recognition by Australian law that some Indigenous people have rights and interests to their land that come from their traditional laws and customs"...

) may be encouraged, or themselves apply to the Australian Government to establish an Indigenous Protected Area on their lands/seas. However, an Indigenous Protected Area can only come into existence where:

land and/or seas are owned by Aboriginal Australians
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...

or Torres Strait Islanders
Torres Strait Islanders
Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. They are culturally and genetically linked to Melanesian peoples and those of Papua New Guinea....

; and
significant biodiversity occurs within such Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander owned lands or seas; and
the Aboriginal Australians or Torres Strait Islanders concerned enter into a formal conservation agreement with the Australian Government to manage some of their lands or seas as an IUCN standard "protected area"

Some examples of Indigenous Protect Areas include:

Angas Downs Indigenous Protected Area
Angas Downs Indigenous Protected Area
Angas Downs Indigenous Protected Area is an Indigenous-owned pastoral lease, within the MacDonnell Shire area, 300 km south-west of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, 135 km east from Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park , 100 km south-east of Kings Canyon/Watarrka National Park and...

in Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
Deen Maar Indigenous Protected Area
Deen Maar Indigenous Protected Area
Deen Maar is a coastal property located in south-west Victoria, Australia bounded by the Eumeralla River and Bass Strait. It has an area of 4.53 square kilometres. The country consists of limestone ridges, wetlands, lakes and sand dunes. It is the traditional home of the Peek Whurrong speakers of...

in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
Warul Kawa Indigenous Protected Area in Torres Strait
Torres Strait
The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...

External links

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History

Criteria

Indigenous Protected Areas

See also

External links