Indigenous Rangers Leading the Way in Cultural Burning and Land Management

27 February, 2025

Indigenous Rangers leading the way in Cultural Burning and Land Management

Tocal College has successfully trained 25 Aboriginal Rangers across two cohorts in the Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management during 2024. The program, delivered in Glen Innes and Tamworth through seven three-day blocks, equipped participants with nationally recognised qualifications in cultural burning and environmental conservation while honouring traditional knowledge systems.

The initiative brought together Tocal College, Local Aboriginal Land Councils, Northern Tablelands Local Land Services, and Aboriginal Community Elders in a powerful collaboration. The Walaaybaa and Banbai Rangers gained expertise in fifteen specialized units. This included one covering compliance requirements for cultural burning, including notification processes and mapping – essential knowledge for conducting these practices within regulatory frameworks.

Participants particularly valued receiving formal recognition for their traditional knowledge while expanding their professional capabilities. The Banbai Rangers, who already provide cultural burning services commercially, benefited from national accreditation. Students conducted three separate cultural burns after completing all necessary planning and consultation, applying their new skills in real-world contexts.

This training initiative demonstrates the growing recognition of Indigenous land management within Australia's environmental frameworks. By combining traditional knowledge with contemporary conservation techniques, these qualified Rangers will make significant contributions to biodiversity conservation and cultural heritage protection. The program strengthens the integration of Indigenous knowledge into mainstream approaches – a step toward more holistic environmental management.

• Media contact:

  Sally Friis

• Phone:

  0409 398 314

• Email:

  sally.friis@dpi.nsw.gov.au