20 NEW INDIGENOUS RANGERS APPOINTED TO MANAGE QUEENSLAND'S WILD RIVERS

Minister for Natural Resources and Water Craig Wallace today announced that 20 new indigenous rangers will be appointed to manage pristine and near pristine wild rivers in the Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape York.

Mr Wallace said the first 10 rangers would be working by the end of the month with the remaining 10 rangers appointed to various areas after negotiation with local indigenous people.

Minister Wallace said the Bligh Government was employing the Wild River Rangers to work with landholders, communities and traditional owners to protect and promote the State's new wild river systems.

"The program not only provides protection for the world-class natural values of the area but also creates much-needed full time jobs in remote Aboriginal communities," he said.

"These locally employed rangers will work with elders to preserve wetlands and ecosystems of high biodiversity or cultural significance."

Member for Cook Jason O'Brien said the program would assist indigenous people manage their own land and environment and give real employment opportunities to those who join the program.

"The skills these rangers develop will be passed on to the next generation and will ensure the Cape and Gulf's unique ecologies are better managed and preserved," Mr O'Brien said.

"Their role is to record traditional stories, local species and habitats, look after visitor management, and manage weeds, feral animals, fire and other threats to the river systems.

"Being locally employed, the rangers already have close links with the traditional owners of the country they will be caring for."

Last year the Queensland Government declared the State's first six wild rivers - the Settlement, Morning Inlet, Gregory and Staaten in the Gulf and Hinchinbrook and Fraser islands.

Declaration as a wild river protects pristine and near-pristine rivers for future generations by controlling activities in high impact areas immediately adjacent to those rivers.

Three rangers are currently employed full time at the Pormpuraaw Land and Sea Centre and one ranger is employed full time operating out of the

Kowanyama Aboriginal Land and Natural Resource Management Office.

Interviews for the remainder of these first 10 ranger positions will be held later this month and the rangers are expected to commence shortly after in the Gulf.

A further 10 rangers will be appointed to various areas after negotiation with local indigenous people.

The wild rivers rangers program is being delivered within the Looking After Country Together framework, a whole of government policy aimed at improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander's involvement in the management of land and sea country.

The program is being managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Water through funding provided by the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations.

Contact person: Minister Wallace's office, 3896 3688.