Indicator 6.4a: Area of forest to which Indigenous people have use and rights that protect their special values and are recognised through formal and informal management regimes (2026) - Supporting information

This is Supporting information for Indicator 6.4a, published April 2026.

Data and information, including spatial data, on Indigenous land are available through Commonwealth, state and territory government agencies and associated government corporations. Table 6.4a-3 lists the datasets collected to inform the development of Australia’s Indigenous land and forest estate (2024) spatial dataset and Indicator 6.4a. More detailed information on each attribute of land and the participation in forest management by Indigenous people is provided in Indicator 6.4c – The extent to which Indigenous values are protected, maintained and enhanced through Indigenous participation in forest management.

Table 6.4a-3: Datasets compiled to inform land over which Indigenous peoples have ownership, management or other special rights

The Commonwealth, state and territory laws protecting Indigenous cultural heritage also afford protection to all Indigenous cultural heritage sites, including those situated in forests. Table 6.4a-4 lists all current legislation that protects Indigenous heritage.

Table 6.4a-4: Current key legislation that protects Indigenous heritage, by jurisdiction

All states and territories maintain registers as central repositories of Indigenous heritage, fundamental to the management and protection of heritage. Table 6.4a-5 lists the Indigenous heritage registers and the relevant organisations responsible for Indigenous heritage protection in each state and territory. All states and territories have regulatory instruments (regulations, codes of practice, management prescriptions etc.) that administer the management of Indigenous heritage sites. These instruments provide a level of protection for Indigenous heritage sites by minimising damage or disturbance to the sites, by imposing penalties for significant impacts, and by requiring prior consultation with the relevant Indigenous heritage representative body regarding actions that might affect the site.

A list of Indigenous heritage registers in each state and territory

Further information

Click here for Key information on Indicator 6.4a: Area of forest to which Indigenous people have use and rights that protect their special values and are recognised through formal and informal management regimes (2026), including:

  • Key points
  • Reporting the Indigenous estate
  • Area of forest in the Indigenous estate
  • Changes in the area of the Indigenous estate

Downloads

This publication (and any material sourced from it) should be attributed as: Montreal Process Implementation Group for Australia (MIG) and National Forest Inventory Steering Committee (NFISC) 2026, Indicator 6.4a: Area of forest to which Indigenous people have use and rights that protect their special values and are recognised through formal and informal management regimes, Australia’s State of the Forests Report, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, Canberra, April. CC BY 4.0.