Case Study Working on Country

RAUKKAN RANGERS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Located on Lake Alexandrina near the Coorong and Murray Mouth in South Australia, Raukkan is an Aboriginal community of approximately 150 people.

With funding through the Australian Government’s Working on Country program, the Ngopamuldi Aboriginal Corporation employs eight Raukkan Rangers. The six male and two female Aboriginal rangers work to protect and care for their country and undertake important natural and cultural resource management activities in the area.

“It is fixing our land again; it is a labour of love for me personally.”

Jodie Long, Raukkan Ranger

Protecting and caring for country

Record-low river flows to the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth region have resulted in a range of environmental problems. The rangers are:

·  providing long-term control of weeds such as Boxthorn and Artichoke thistle

·  re-establishing off-shore reed beds to prevent erosion

·  re-snagging the wetlands and lake edge with trees for fish habitat

·  reinstating historical water flow connections

·  planting seedlings around the Teringie Wetland

·  operating a nursery that provides plants for local action planning groups.

The Raukkan Ranger Project is delivering significant ecological improvements as well as social benefits for individuals and the wider community. The rangers and the community feel pride, and peace-of-mind knowing that their work is making a difference. Recent years have seen frog, bird and fish species returning to the land and waters.

“It is a big privilege to be working here. I was born and bred here; it means a lot to put back into the community. That’s what makes us who we are…. I love working, I was working in Western society since I was 18 years old and I forgot about my country. Being able to work here has made my life. Coming back to my grass roots, I am proud of what I have done.”

Derek Gollan, Raukkan Ranger

Retaining and reviving culture

By increasing their knowledge of and interest in cultural practices, the rangers and other community members are strengthening the community’s cultural identity.

The rangers revegetate burial sites, identify cultural artefacts, map cultural sites, learn about traditional plant usage and food sources, and participate in traditional land management practices such as hunting.

“Taking away country and language created the gap. Working on Country increases people’s sense of who they are, regaining what was once taken away, that is a really critical Closing the Gap strategy.”

Steven Sumner, Indigenous Health Project worker

Building community pride and capacity

With community members having moved away to seek employment opportunities elsewhere, the sustainability of the Raukkan community has been jeopardised.

By creating opportunities for employment and retaining skilled workers locally, the Raukkan Rangers Working on Country project has built community capacity.

Families are returning to Raukkan, the temporarily closed school has reopened and the community now experiences less anti-social behaviour.

Breaking down barriers

The rangers undertake some land management activities on a community owned dairy farm with a non-Aboriginal farm manager and workers. By stabilising sand drift areas on the farm through revegetation and the construction of fences, the rangers are given valuable work experience while at the same time, social and cultural barriers are being broken down.

There is also work with local tourism, government agencies, regional natural resource management bodies, research centres and universities. As well as working with the local school to establish a native plant garden, the rangers are working with scientists from Flinders University to monitor migratory birds as part of a National Parks and Wildlife survey.

“As Ngarrindjeri people it affirms us, there’s a lot of interest, a group every week comes in.”

Clyde Rigney, Indigenous Health Project worker

Caring for our Country is administered by a joint team of the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Photo credits: Wetland planting (Image Courtesy Ngopamuldi Aboriginal Corporation), Salt tolerant plants beside Coorong Lagoon (John Baker), Rangers Kye, Ronnie & Anthony at Warrangie Farm (Stu Jordan), Cyril showing some bush tucker (Stu Jordan, Image Courtesy Ngarrindjeri Lands & Progress Association).

© Commonwealth of Australia 2012

Published October 2012

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Populations and Communities, Public Affairs, GPO Box 787 Canberra ACT 2601or email

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