A Land Rights News article
The Country Liberal Party government's decision to break its $12 million Aboriginal ranger grant election promise is putting jobs, cultural knowledge and land management at risk across the Territory.
"The CLP is making a habit of betraying the trust of Aboriginal people," CLC chair Warren Williams said.
"This is a slap in the face of the rangers who are out there managing country on the smell of an oily rag, protecting sacred sites and fighting fires, weeds and feral pests in some of the most remote areas of the Territory," he said.
Former opposition spokesperson for Parks and Rangers Bill Yan, now the NT's treasurer, said just before last year's NT election that the CLP would continue Labor's ranger grants.
He promised to deliver $3 million annually over four years to support Aboriginal rangers with critical training, equipment and infrastructure upgrades and job security - exactly as the previous Labor government had done for eight years.
Paddy O'Leary, the chief executive of Country Needs People, counted on him to keep his word.
"We were actually shocked that a government would so clearly promise, very directly, to fund a specific program unambiguously and without conditions, and then turn around in their first budget and break that promise," Mr O'Leary said.
He said the backflip means rangers across the Territory won't be able to afford the repairs, spray packs and protective equipment they need to do the job.
The CLC employs more than 90 rangers across 14 groups.
Mr Williams said their work "benefits all Territorians - from tackling feral pests to reducing carbon emissions - and the government's broken promise puts this work and these jobs in jeopardy".
Top End rangers are "outraged at this broken promise", Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan said, adding that they were already significantly under-resourced to properly manage land and sea country.
"This government has revealed its plans to leave Aboriginal rangers behind," he said.
Much of the Aboriginal ranger programs are funded by the federal government, but the ranger grants of the NT government have made the difference between groups limping along and thriving.
"Rangers will definitely scale back some of their activities, such as fighting weeds and tackling buffel grass, protection of sacred sites, which will mean fewer jobs on the ground," said the CLC's ranger program manager, Boyd Elston.
"Fewer opportunities for communities that really don't have many other opportunities."
"We were really shocked that the government would cut that kind of investment with so many positive outcomes. Kids want to be rangers and have the opportunities to move into those positions."
NT environment minister Joshua Burgoyne said funding had been exhausted.
"Our government's number one priority is law and order, including spending on frontline priorities such as police, courts and corrections."
He said the CLP would "continue to work with Aboriginal ranger groups across the Territory to ensure we can support them in their important work moving forward".
Mr Williams wants nothing less than a full reinstatement of the ranger grants.
"Your fine words before the election about supporting the bush ring hollow when you turn your backs on one of the proven success stories in remote community development as soon as the election is over," he said.
"Our rangers and the country they care for deserve better. They will remember your backflip, as will voters."
This is an article from Land Rights News July 2025. Read the full paper here.
