The Minister for Indigenous Australians has announced a 28 per cent increase in the network of Indigenous Protected Areas (IPA), taking the total world-leading network to more than 100 million hectares.
Ken Wyatt said his announcement would mean the IPA network would cover an area similar to the size of South Australia.
“Funded through the second phase of the National Landcare Program, seven Indigenous groups will receive grants to support community consultation and planning activities before making a final decision on whether to dedicate their land and/or sea country as an IPA,” Mr Wyatt said.
“The establishment of seven new IPAs in the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia will provide further significant biodiversity benefits, protecting habitats for threatened species and managing threats from invasive weeds and feral species.”
He said the newly-announced IPA projects would protect habitat for threatened species including the Cassowary, Eastern Curlew and Malleefowl, as well as habitat for marine species such as turtles, dugongs and seabirds, and for migratory shorebirds.
“The proposed Haasts Bluff IPA will improve connections between a cluster of protected areas that conserve 40 million hectares of arid country in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia and protect threatened native species such as the Princess Parrot, Central Rock Rat, Black-footed Rock-wallaby, Greater Bilby and Great Desert Skink,” Mr Wyatt said.
“The IPAs will also deliver social and cultural benefits including employment for Indigenous Land and Sea Managers, knowledge transfer between generations, support for language and culture and Indigenous role models for youth.”
