The Noongar Land Enterprise Group (NLE) has commenced its Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) funded Aboriginal Ranger Program.
The program provides training and employment for Noongar rangers to restore and care for country. The program involves a wide range of activities, including regenerative agriculture, cultural burning, seed collection and large-scale seedling propagation.
Rangers will also undertake on-country trips with Elders to ensure cultural knowledge is passed down to younger generations.
NLE chief executive officer Alan Beattie said the program was about creating pathways for Noongar people to take an active role in environmental management while building skills and employment opportunities.
“Caring for country has always been at the heart of Noongar culture,” Mr Beattie said.
“This program brings that knowledge together with practical training so rangers can strengthen landscapes, support their communities and create future career opportunities.”
Over the course of the program, rangers participate in regenerative agriculture and seed collection activities. They will also be training in cultural burning, and work at NLE’s Boola Boornap native tree farm. Mr Beattie said the program was designed to combine cultural and environmental outcomes and foster economic development by attaining and working on fee-for-service contracts.
“Having Elders join rangers on-country to share knowledge about seed collection, bush foods and bush medicines ensures that traditional knowledge is valued and continues to guide how we look after boodja,” he said.
Another focus of the program is creating long-term opportunities.
By the end of the project, the ranger team aims to secure commercial contracts, so they have continued employment beyond the period of the DBCA funding agreement. The NLE rangers are already undertaking contract fee-for-service work with Main Roads WA.
“This program is not just about short-term outcomes,” Mr Beattie said.
“It’s about building the capacity of our ranger teams so they can continue to create cultural, environmental and economic benefits well into the future.”
The DBCA Ranger Program runs until mid-2026 and forms part of NLE’s broader commitment to strengthen Noongar-led land management across the south-west.
