Indigenous Protected Areas

About Indigenous Protected Areas

Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) are areas of land and sea that Traditional Owners have agreed to manage for biodiversity conservation. IPAs represent more than 50% of Australia's National Reserve System.

Launched in 1997, the IPA program supports First Nations peoples to care for their Country through voluntary agreements with the Australian Government. The program includes:

IPAs deliver environmental, cultural, social and economic benefits through implementation of agreed management plans. Management actions include:

• cultural site management
• threatened species monitoring and protection
• habitat restoration
• biodiversity surveys
• marine debris removal
• weed and pest animal management
• ‘right way’ fire management
• tourism and visitor management
• education, including cross-generational knowledge sharing.

The IPA program is jointly administered by DCCEEW and NIAA.

View the Indigenous Protected Areas national map (PDF 2.02 MB).

Learn more about the IPA program on NIAA’s website:

• Stories from Country 2022 | National Indigenous Australians Agency
• National Indigenous Australians Agency’s Protected Areas

IPA grants

The Australian Government is providing $231.5 million over 5 years from 1 July 2023 to continue and improve the IPA program.

Read more about the Indigenous Protected Areas program grants.

Sea Country IPA program

Sea Country IPAs help First Nations people work with partners to protect our unique marine and coastal environments.

Read more about the Sea Country Indigenous Protected Areas program.

Latest dedicated Indigenous Protected Areas

Wuthathi IPA

• Location: Cape York Peninsula, Queensland 
• Dedicated: 15 September 2023
• Terrestrial hectares: 119,252
• Sea hectares: 688,719
• Map of Wuthathi (PDF 995 KB)

The Wuthathi IPA has high levels of biodiversity and ecological integrity as well as significant cultural sites and culturally important species, such as the Ya’awa (Manta Ray). Wuthathi Country includes the Olive River-Shelburne Bay dune fields which are a world class example of an undisturbed sandy landscape in the tropics.

Significant values of the Wuthathi IPA include:

• Wuthathi People on Wuthathis Ngaachi
• practice of culture
• Wuthathi cultural sites and Storyplaces
• Ya’awa and other Wuthathi marine totems
• Wuthathi Land Totems and Native Animals 
• Coastal Ngaachi
• islands
• Timbarandan (reefs) and seagrasses
• Wulungun Ngaachi
• wetlands and Giita (freshwater) places 
• culturally important plants.

Wik IPA

• Location: Cape York Peninsula, Queensland 
• Dedicated: 2 August 2023
• Terrestrial hectares: 156,342
• Map of Wik (PDF 719 KB)

The Wik IPA (Stage 1) includes the central Wik homelands. A vast, remote and diverse tract of land covering the central part of Western Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. It also takes in the Small Archer and Lower Archer River catchments, and the Love River catchment.

The landscape is characterised by:

• an expanse of open eucalypt forests and woodlands
• numerous westward-flowing waterways and associated wetland ecosystems
• a stretch of coastline along the Gulf of Carpentaria
• other important habitats including:
  • open savanna
  • riverine gallery forest
  • vine forests 
  • mangroves.

The Wik, Wik-Waya and Kugu Traditional Owners vision for the Wik IPA (Stage 1) is Nath a’Kunchal Tharranam Pikamp – Keeping our people, culture and heritage strong.

Warla Warrarn Martu IPA

• Managed by: Jamukurnu Yapalikurnu Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC
• Location: Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia
• Dedicated: 31 August 2022
• Terrestrial hectares:  2,191,270 ha
• Map of Warla Warrarn Martu (PDF 590 KB)

The Warla-Warrarn Martu IPA covers the Percival and Waukarlicarly lake systems (within the boundaries of the determination area). This IPA aims to improve the health of Country and its environment, the Martu people and communities. It also aims to address the impact of threats, including:

• cultural mapping
• warla (lake) monitoring
• bush foods and medicine mapping
• monitoring on Country to locate and protect mankarr (greater bilbies) and Kural kurral (night parrot).

Olkola IPA

• Managed by: Olkola Aboriginal Corporation
• Location: Cape York Peninsula, Queensland
• Dedicated: 21 March 2022
• Terrestrial hectares: 728,600 ha
• Map of Olkola (PDF 595 KB)

Olkola’s traditional estate covers over a million hectares of central Cape York Peninsula in remote northern Australia. It crosses the Great Dividing Range and includes 6 major waterways:

• the westerly-flowing Alice, Coleman and King rivers
• the easterly-flowing Hann, Kennedy and Morehead rivers. 

The Olkola landscape is covered with diverse soils and terrain. A mosaic that extends through grasslands, heathlands to shrublands, woodlands and in deeper soils tall forests.

The Olkola lands include habitats for the critically endangered Alwal (Golden-shouldered parrot), and 22 other EPBC Act-listed species.

On ground management will be undertaken by IPA staff according to the Olkola IPA Plan of Management 2021-2031. These works include Olkola’s:

• fire program
• ranger works
• cultural recording
• overall taking care of Olkola Country.

Crocodile Islands Maringa IPA

• Managed by: Millingimbi Outstations Progress Resource Aboriginal Corporation
• Location: Arnhem Land, Northern Territory
• Dedicated: 21 March 2022
• Terrestrial hectares: 78,761 ha
• Sea hectares: 735,419 ha
• Map of Crocodile Islands Maringa (PDF 822 KB)

Located on the Arnhem coast and surrounding waters, Crocodile Islands Maringa IPA is adjacent to other IPAs in the east and west. This contributes to a contiguous network of protected areas in the region.

The IPA makes a significant contribution to protecting exceptional marine and terrestrial habitats in northern Australia, including:

• extensive mangrove communities
• intertidal mud-flats
• coastal floodplains
• monsoon forests
• eucalypt open forests
• shallow seas and reefs
• a network of near and offshore islands.

The IPA protects 44 nationally listed species and 16 species listed under Northern Territory legislation, including the largest aggregation of migratory shorebirds in northern Australia. 

On ground management is undertaken by IPA staff and supported by the Crocodile Islands Rangers according to the Crocodile Islands Rangers Maringa IPA Strategic plan 2021-2031.