Indigenous Protected Areas - Funding
Funding for Indigenous Protected Areas has been boosted to $50 million over five years through the Caring for our Country initiative. The first installment of that funding has already hit the ground, with the Government announcing more than $24 million to expand the work of Australia's 25 declared IPAs and help develop new ones. Full details are outlined in the Indigenous Protected Area funding summaries.
Communities interested in managing their land as an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) are encouraged to contact the Indigenous Land Management Section of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts to discuss applications.
Potential IPA applications should also be discussed with relevant regional authorities (and State or Territory conservation agencies) in order to obtain their support.
Funding proposals can be submitted at any time for:
- Establishing IPAs on Indigenous-owned lands; or
- Establishing cooperative management arrangements over existing State and Territory government-managed protected areas.
Indigenous-owned Lands
Indigenous groups seeking funding to develop an IPA on Indigenous-owned lands should:
- Have secure tenure (e.g. freehold, deed-of-grant, leasehold) over the land where they wish to establish the IPA
- Have land which features high natural and cultural heritage values
- Have a clear intention to manage the land long-term for the conservation of its natural and cultural features
- Not intend to use the IPA for any land use that will degrade the natural or cultural heritage values
- Be able to manage and protect the IPA by legal or other effective means, for example:
- Traditional management practices can be effective means of management
- Customary law is recognised as a form of management which satisfies World Conservation Union guidelines
- Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation can protect IPAs, through agreements with appropriate government agencies.
State and Territory Government-managed Protected Areas
Indigenous organisations can apply for IPA funding to develop cooperative management arrangements over an existing protected area if:
- The Indigenous traditional owners and their Native Title Representative Body have demonstrated support for the application
- The State/Territory government agency which manages the area has demonstrated support for the application
- The State/Territory government agency has demonstrated a commitment to increasing Indigenous involvement in management of the area
- There is or will be a formal agreement developed as an outcome of the activities supported under the IPA initiative.
IPA Funding Applicants
The following bodies can apply for IPA funding -
Incorporated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, including:
- Land councils
- Community councils
- Land management agencies
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land trusts or representative bodies
IPA Applications
Applications for IPA funding should be made using a standard Application Form -
Word and PDF versions of the Application Form and an Advice to Applicants document are available.
To view PDF files you need Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer.
Application Form
Advice to Applicants
If you are unable to access these documents, please contact us to organise a suitable alternative format.
Contact Details
Director
Indigenous Land Management Section
Parks Australia
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
email IPA@environment.gov.au
phone (02) 6274 2326
fax (02) 6274 2735
Community Information Unit
ciu@environment.gov.au
1800 065 823
If you require advice or assistance in the preparation of submissions or have any general enquires please contact the Department of the Environment and Water Resources' Community Information Unit on 1800 065 823. The Department of the Environment and Heritage encourages potential applicants to make contact with the Indigenous Land Management Section to discuss their proposal.
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