Wagyl Kaip Southern Noongar Aboriginal Corporation aiming to establish ranger program by end of the year

A new ranger program that will look after cultural land and a future marine park will soon be established by Wagyl Kaip Southern Noongar Aboriginal Corporation.

The organisation was awarded more than $1.1 million from the State Government this week with more than $13 million worth of grants awarded in the WA Aboriginal Ranger Program’s seventh round.

The funding will pay for business operations and planning, a ranger yard to serve as an operations base the purchase of vehicles and land management equipment.

It will also allow the WKSN to establish a team equivalent to five full-time ranger positions, including a senior ranger.

Chair Jeanice Krakouer said they were excited to get the ranger program up and running.

“The Noongar Land Estate is a highly significant transfer of land back into the hands of Noongar people,” she said.

“This funding will allow us to create new employment opportunities for Noongar people to care for our own boodja.

“This funding will help us to continue the progress we’re making under the ILUA to maximise the benefits of the South West Native Title Settlement for Wagyl Kaip Southern Noongar people, culture, knowledge land and sea.

“We look forward to finishing the planning phase and employing our first rangers at the end of the year.”

WKSN, which covers a big swathe of the Great Southern, is one of six parties in the South West native title settlement, with the other five also receiving funding.

Two other Great Southern Aboriginal corporations also received funding when the grants were announced on Tuesday.

The Binalup Aboriginal Corporation will receive $702,466 to support the continued efforts of its ranger program over the next 18 months.

The Ngowanjerindj Rangers program, which is supported by the Gnowangerup Aboriginal Corporation, has been allocated $969,107 over the next two years to enhance the people, culture and landscapes of the Central Great Southern.

Environment Minister Reece Whitby said the ARP was a “fantastic initiative” that created “meaningful opportunities”.

“Not only has the program directly led to employment for nearly 1400 Aboriginal people, it’s also been great for Western Australia’s environment,” he said.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Tony Buti said the program was going “from strength to strength”.

“As a Government, we are committed to supporting social and economic opportunities for Aboriginal communities,” he said.

“This program is a fine example of this in action.”