Our role is to listen to the needs and vision of Indigenous communities in how they want to manage their natural and cultural heritage, and support them to realise this on their own terms. Every project is 100 per cent community owned from concept to implementation. This is self-determination in action.
We were established by Traditional Owners of the Warddeken and Djelk Indigenous Protected Areas to support their ranger programs, and we remain governed by a majority board of Traditional Owners from the communities where we operate. The Indigenous organisations that choose to partner with us are united in their aims to protect and conserve the environmental and cultural heritage of West and Central Arnhem Land.
Indigenous ranger programs are one of Australia’s biggest conservation success stories, developed through a government program to create meaningful employment, training and career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Rangers receive a small amount of government funding to manage their land and sea areas while maintaining their cultures and sharing their skills and knowledge with others. Today, it is the fastest growing sector for Indigenous employment nationally.
Ranger programs create a healthier environment with reduced carbon emissions and a resurgence of native plants and animals. Evidence has shown that communities with strong ranger programs also enjoy better economic, health and educational outcomes, lower rates of interaction with the criminal justice system, more role models, higher skill levels, strengthened language and culture, and increased pride, self-esteem and wellbeing.
"Where these programs are fully supported and resourced, the benefits are felt throughout communities.‘Warddeken and our partners created KKT to be responsive to our needs, and partnering with them brings the expertise, skills, capacity and contacts so that we can stay focused on land management."
-Shaun Ansell, Former CEO, Warddeken Land Management Limited
