Laynhapuy Indigenous Protected Area
We want to protect our country and pass it on to our children in good shape
but we also want to be able to live on it
and to be nurtured by it
as our ancestors always have done.
Laynhapuy Homelands Association Inc.
Located in north-east Arnhem Land, Laynhapuy Indigenous Protected
Area's (IPA's) natural environment and rare flora and fauna are virtually
intact. Declared in September 2006, the 690,000 hectare IPA protects internationally significant wetlands and
coastal landforms, and its sea country is home to endangered turtles
and dugong.
Laynhapuy IPA is administered by the Laynhapuy Homelands
Association Incorporated. Adjacent to the Dhimurru and
Anindilyakwa IPAs, the three groups of Traditional Owners are linked
by family, ceremonial and other cultural connections. Members of the
three land management groups share information and cooperate on
management and training programs.
The local Yolngu people are guardians of one of the oldest living cultures in the world. It is believed that interactions with outsiders first occurred around the sixteenth century through trade relations with Macassan fishermen. Many of the sites central to this relationship will be protected by IPA activities.
On Laynhapuy IPA, only senior Traditional Owners are able to speak for their country and approve land management activities. Representative Traditional Owners guide the management of the Laynhapuy Homelands Association, and set priorities for the management program and ranger activities.
The Laynhapuy community is committed to the development of visitor management activities and a sustainable tourism plan. They are working to protect culture and cultural sites, and to control feral weeds, pigs and buffalo. Traditional burning techniques are used on the IPA and management of the sea and coast is a priority, including removal of marine debris and monitoring of turtle habitats. The local Yirralka Rangers assist with these activities, addressing threats to cultural and environmental values.
Laynhapuy IPA is managed in line with World Conservation Union (IUCN) Category VI - a protected area managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural ecosystems.