Fact Sheet

WORKING ON COUNTRY

The Working on Country Indigenous ranger program is a successful cross-cultural

model that is achieving environmental benefits in the national interest and supporting the
Australian Governments commitment to Closing the Gap.
Working on Country recognises Indigenous
peoples strong relationship and obligations
to country and their desire to have their land
and sea management work recognised as
paid employment. Vast areas of Australia are
actively cared for by Indigenous people who
undertake environmental work of benefit to the
nation, including the management of cultural
sites, heritage values, fire regimes, biodiversity,
feral animals, weeds, land disturbance,
pollution and climate change impacts. In this
way, Working on Country brings together
Indigenous caring for country, environmental
and employment outcomes.
Through this program, the Australian
Government provides funding to Indigenous
and non-Indigenous organisations who employ
Indigenous rangers to undertake this important
environmental work.
The program objectives are to:

IND01.0413

support Indigenous aspirations in caring

for country
provide opportunities for Indigenous people
to deliver environmental services that protect
and manage Australias environmental and
heritage values
provide nationally accredited training and
career pathways for Indigenous people in
land and sea management in partnership
with others

facilitate a partnership approach between

Indigenous people and others to deliver
environmental outcomes.
Working on Country began in 2007 and now
employs more than 680 Indigenous rangers
across over 90 ranger groups nationally. The
Australian Government has a substantial
commitment to Working on Countrythese
positions are real, long-term jobs and the
program gives greater economic certainty to
individuals, families and communities.
Research has found that in addition to delivering
environmental outcomes, Indigenous land
and sea management groups are helping to
close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage
in a number of ways. They are achieving a
broad range of environmental, cultural, social,
education, health, employment and economic
development outcomes.

Environmental and cultural benefits

Using western science and training and
Indigenous ecological knowledge, Indigenous
ranger teams are managing over 1.5 million
square kilometres of land and sea country. As of
June 2012:
All projects are managing matters of National
Environmental Significance (under the
Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999)

 91% of projects are managing key threatening

processes such as feral pigs, cats, marine debris and
invasive grasses.
63% of projects are undertaking management
activities associated with threatened fauna species
such as the Flatback Turtle, Greater Bilby, Gouldian
Finch and Freshwater Sawfish.
71% of projects are tackling Weeds of National
Significance, such as Lantana, Mimosa, Olive
Hymenachne and Parkinsonia.
77% of projects involve managing places of
cultural significance.
Most projects also support the transfer of Indigenous
cultural knowledge between elders and younger
people, for example through back to country trips, junior
ranger programs, talks and field trips with local school
children, and recording stories about animals and plants
in Indigenous languages in ways that can be shared
with children.

Economic and employment benefits

Working on Country provides employment and
training opportunities for some of the most remote and
economically marginalised Indigenous communities.
The program has a target to contract over 690
Indigenous positions by June 2013, growing to 730
positions by 2015. This allows for full-time and part-time
work, with a small proportion of positions dedicated to
casual employment arrangements which have increased
opportunities for elders and women to care for country.
A snapshot of employment outcomes in 201112 shows:
Almost one quarter of the Indigenous people working
full time or part time are women.
Many Indigenous people have the opportunity to
work on a casual basis, for example for a few days or
a season. Around 580 people worked casually over
a six month period in 201112, and almost one half
were women.
Job retention is high at around 80% over 12 months.

Training is supported, with all Indigenous ranger

groups undertaking some form of formal or informal
training, and around 75% of groups engaged
in Certificate level study in Conservation and
Land Management.
With new jobs being created under Working on Country,
research shows significant cost savings are made to
the Australian Government. Savings stem from reduced
welfare payments as unemployed people move into
paid employment and from the increase in tax revenue
generated by Working on Country employees.

Health and social benefits

Research indicates that participating in natural and
cultural resource management can provide multiple
benefits including:
More frequent exercise, lower rates of obesity, lower
rates of diabetes
Lower rates of renal disease, cardio-vascular disease
and psychological stress.
Confidence, self esteem and hope are articulated by
Indigenous people as perhaps the greatest benefit of
land and sea management ranger programs.
It feels awesome to be a Ranger .the community
tells us we are doing a great job.
they are proud of us Rangers
Damien Williams, CLC Tjuwampa Rangers,
Central Australia, NT

For more information about the Working on Country program, go to www.environment.gov.au/workingoncountry

Photo credits: Ranger Joyce Henderson in front of scar tree, Yuku-Baja-Muliku rangers, Qld (Irene Bowyer), Warru Ranger Bronson Bennett
radio tracking wild warru, APY Lands, SA (Jasmina Muhic), Kaltukatjara Rangers Selwyn Burke and Raymond James digging pitfall traps,
Central Australia, NT (Richard Brittingham), Marthakal Ranger caring for baby turtle on Galiwinku, NT (Jane Dermer).

Commonwealth of Australia 2013

Published April 2013

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without
prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Populations and Communities, Public Affairs, GPO Box 787 Canberra ACT 2601 or email
public.affairs@environment.gov.au