IRP Round 2 grant opportunity is now open
About
The Indigenous Rangers Program (IRP) assists First Nations people in managing Country according to Traditional Owners’ objectives. Indigenous rangers use traditional knowledge and cultural practices, combined with Western science, to manage land, river and sea Country and deliver environmental, cultural, social and economic development outcomes.
Through the IRP, the Australian Government acknowledges and supports First Nations peoples’ unique, critical and continuing role in managing and protecting Australia’s natural and cultural heritage and is increasing investment in programs.
The government has committed to a national expansion of the IRP through a grant opportunity and by developing an Indigenous Ranger Sector Strategy to guide the future growth and empowerment of Indigenous ranger organisations across Australia.
Groups are formed to deliver on Country activities including:
- engaging with community and Traditional Owners to plan land and water management activities
- fire management - cultural burning and bushfire mitigation
- biodiversity conservation - habitat and threatened species management, invasive species management, freshwater and sea Country management
- strengthening First Nations language and culture
- cultural heritage protection and maintenance
- intergenerational knowledge transfer, education, training and capability development
- biosecurity monitoring
- partnerships with research, education, philanthropic and commercial organisations
- building and retaining employment in the Indigenous Land and Water Management sector.
You can find a short description of each of the NIAA-funded Indigenous Ranger projects (IRPs) and Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) funded Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) on the interactive project map.
You can see the locations of the IPAs and IRP funded groups in this PDF map (1.31 MB).
Indigenous Rangers Program expansion round 2 grant opportunity
This grant opportunity is now open via GrantConnect until 2:00pm AEST on 5 June 2025.
Applicants should direct enquiries to IndigenousRangersGrants@niaa.gov.au.
The NIAA will conduct a series of online information sessions on the IRP Expansion Round 2 grant opportunity. Please email IndigenousRangersGrants@niaa.gov.au if you would like to sign up to these session/s, and monitor this website for further details.
On 31 October 2024 the outcomes of the Indigenous Rangers Program Expansion grant round 1 were announced. Successful and unsuccessful applicants have been informed of the outcome of their application by an Agency representative. Applicants looking to follow up should direct enquiries to IndigenousRangersGrants@niaa.gov.au.
Indigenous Rangers Program expansion consultation
NIAA sought feedback via a survey on key elements of the second round of the Indigenous Rangers Program Expansion, which aims to deliver over 800 new Indigenous ranger jobs across the country.
The survey has now closed, thank you for your submissions.
Your feedback assisted the design of the Indigenous Ranger Program (Round 2) Grant Opportunity Guidelines, now open via GrantsConnect.
Junior Rangers
The Junior Rangers program, which supports on Country learning for school-aged children and youth, is also increasing its footprint. The Junior Rangers grant opportunity is now open via GrantConnect until 19 May 2025. Applicants should direct enquiries to JuniorRangers@niaa.gov.au.