Largest Indigenous protected area declared in Tanami desert

10 Jul 2012, 6:21 pm   -   Source: Andrea Clarke, SBS
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Parks Australia has officially declared 100,000 sq km of land in the Tanami desert in central Australia the nation's largest Indigenous Protected Area.

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An unprecedented ceremony has taken place in a remote part of central Australia known as Sangsters Bore in tin the Northern Territory's Tanami desert.

Parks Australia has offically declared 100,000 square kilometres of land, the nation's largest Indigenous Protected Area.

Three hundred traditional owners were present for the announcement, as 101,500 square kilometres of land in the Tanami and Great Sandy deserts was turned into an IPA.

Becoming an IPA gives greater recognition to the role Aboriginal people play in caring for their country, and will see them get more federal funding to support rangers and indigenous land management.

It also means Aboriginal people's skills in caring for plants, animals and cultural sites will be more fully utilised.

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Tanami Desert

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Your Comments

Gaining pride in oneself

Neff - from Perth, 11 months ago

It takes a lot of time to heal an entire people. Give them some responsibility let them govern themselves their land and their lives. It won't be perfect but name one of our systems that is.

40,000 years

J - from Sydney, 11 months ago

I'm with you Rod, my precious tax dollars are incomparable to 40,000 years of inhabitation. I just can't believe this miscarriage of justice!

just a slide of hand

Dave - from Albury, 11 months ago

This land still belongs to the government. If the government at any stage found a resource within the park it would exploit it with the same vigour and greed as usual. I am not fooled by this deceitful slide of hand and shuffling of titles and I'm sure you rant either. kakadu is a national park and world heritage listed but that dosn't seem to matter.

Mrs

DTripp - from Melbourne, 11 months ago

So the most mismanaged (Desert) Indigenous groups finally get Some say, but only because they occupy the least productive lands. Let's hope they are given back some governance over themselves (taken by the INtervention) as well as over the land.

Mr

Rodney - from Melbourne, 11 months ago

So in other words millions of tax payers money will be wasted. What a sham.

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