About Working on Country

Working on Country builds on Indigenous knowledge of protecting and managing land and sea country, and provides funding for Indigenous people to deliver environmental outcomes to the Australian Government. Their work will help to maintain, restore, protect and manage Australia's environment - the land, sea and heritage.

Working on Country also contributes to the Australian Government's commitment to improving the lives of Indigenous Australian's through economic development, and to closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage.

• Southern Australia WOC Aboriginal Ranger Forum - April 2012
• Good news stories
• Assessment of the economic and employment outcomes of the Working on Country program
• Working on Country - Evaluation Report
• Working on Country a retrospective 2007-2008

National Indigenous Ranger CyberTracker Project

The Working on Country and Indigenous Protected Areas CyberTracker project is part of a national initiative to develop a more consistent approach to environmental data collection and reporting, and ensure better understanding and communication of the important environmental work Indigenous rangers are undertaking.

• More about the National Indigenous Ranger CyberTracker Project

Case Studies - Working on Country

CLCAC Wellesley Islands Sea Rangers, Queensland
Twenty five Indigenous rangers are employed to protect the environment, conserve biodiversity and manage important cultural heritage sites across the Gulf of Carpentaria in far north Queensland.

• Case Study - CLCAC Wellesley Islands Sea Rangers, Queensland (PDF - 1205KB) |  (Word - 677KB)

Working Remotely in the Northern Territory
Working on Country is engaging Traditional Owners in effective land management of the westerm Arnhem Land plateau, and is providing many Indigenous people with meaningful paid employment for the first time in their lives.

• Case Study - Working Remotely in the Northern Territory (PDF - 1205KB) |  (Word - 677KB)

Fact Sheet - Working on Country

The Working on Country Indigenous ranger program is a successful, cross-cultural model that is achieving environmental outcomes in the national interest and supporting the Australian Government's commitment to Closing the Gap.

• Fact Sheet - Working on Country (PDF - 1205KB) |  (Word - 677KB)

The Benefits of Caring for Country - Literature Review

Prepared by Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) for the Department, this Literature Review considers the growing field of research that is documenting and examining the benefits of caring for country.

• The Benefits of Caring for Country - Literature Review

Indigenous Ranger Skills Development

Skills development is important as it enables ranger groups to effectively deliver on outcomes of their Working on Country agreement and/or other land and sea management contracts.

• Indigenous Ranger Skills Guide