Ranger Capability Building Grants Program

Indigenous rangers are critical to Australia’s ability to maintain an early detection system for exotic pests and diseases in remote coastal areas across the north. Increasing over time, current services provided by rangers include participating in animal, plant and aquatic health surveys, insect trapping/surveillance, plant host mapping, collection and destruction of biosecurity risk material and biosecurity awareness activities in remote communities, utilising their unique skills and abilities.

To further support the biosecurity work of Indigenous rangers, capability building grants have been made available to ranger groups who have existing biosecurity fee-for-service arrangements with the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

The Ranger Capability Building Grants program will run over 3 years from 2020–21 to 2022–23, building on the existing capability of Indigenous rangers and will be delivered by the department’s Indigenous Ranger Biosecurity Program.

Program objective

The grant program will enable ranger organisations with existing biosecurity fee-for-service arrangements to undertake capability building activities, purchase equipment and undertake training to further enhance the capacity of rangers to conduct biosecurity surveillance and response work.

Intended program outcomes

The intended outcomes of the grant program are:

• Increased capacity of Indigenous Rangers to undertake current and future biosecurity fee-for-service activities for the department.
• Increased skills and capability of Indigenous Rangers to enhance their career pathways.
• Improved work health and safety of the work undertaken by Indigenous Rangers in remote areas.

Examples of the types of grant activities that may be supported by the department are:

• Capability building initiatives including ranger exchanges.
• Capability building training.
• Purchase of capital equipment
• Purchase of capability building equipment or materials used in the course of work undertaken as part of a contract and / or
• Servicing, maintenance or minor repairs of equipment.

Round 1

Applications for Round 1 closed on 8 April 2021.

26 applications were received from Indigenous ranger organisations in northern Australia.

An assessment panel including a representative from the National Indigenous Australians Agency met in July 2021 to assess applications. 22 applications were approved for funding from October 2021 totalling $1.1 million (see full recipient list below).

Examples of grant activities funded include:

• undertaking ranger training including coxswain, remote first aid, conservation and ecosystem management, remote 4WD and remote pilot licence (drone) training
• purchase of IT and other equipment including iPads, laptops, cameras and GPS units to allow rangers to capture and transmit to biosecurity data in the field
• equipping rangers with emerging technologies to enhance their field capability such as underwater drones and thermal cameras
• purchase of ATVs, UTVs and associated equipment to improve ranger capacity to access country to undertake biosecurity surveillance
• enhancing ranger safety by purchasing safety equipment such as satellite phones, life jackets, UHF radios and helmets
• regional ranger forums to provide the opportunity for rangers to improve work practices through targeted mentoring, training and skills exchange and valuable engagement with NAQS scientists and other government agencies
• ranger exchanges on country to facilitate ranger groups with less experience in undertaking biosecurity activities learning from high performing groups

Round 2 is anticipated to open in the second half of 2022.