Indigenous Rangers Program Expansion Round Two outcomes announced

Anindilyakwa Land and Sea Rangers in action

Outcomes of Round Two of the Indigenous Rangers Program (IRP) Expansion have been announced with 82 new ranger projects being funded, including 58 new organisations joining the IRP.

Round Two will invest over $190 million over three years (2025–2028), supporting over 900 new employment opportunities for Indigenous rangers across the country to achieve the Government’s commitment to double Indigenous rangers by 2030.

The program continues to support First Nations women, with all approved projects dedicating a proportion of their positions to women rangers. These new ranger positions will see an increase in positions held by First Nations women, bringing the Indigenous Rangers Program towards gender parity by the end of the decade.

The Program contributes directly to Closing the Gap Targets 7 and 8 by increasing employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 25-64, and creating pathways for youth education and training.

This round builds on Round One, which supported over 110 new ranger projects and welcomed new organisations into the program for the first time in over a decade.

The expansion is part of the Government’s broader investment in Indigenous Rangers, with $1.3 billion being invested from 2021 to 2028, supporting the existing workforce and growing it from 1,900 to 3,800 Rangers by 2030.

For more information, including a list of successful applicants, visit Indigenous Rangers Program (IRP) | NIAA.