THE future of the rangers who look after the UNESCSO world heritage listed Budj Bim cultural landscape, with three years of funding locked away in this year’s state budget.

Labor member for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora made the trip out to the Kurtonitj Indigenous Protection Area (IPA) north of Tyrendarra to announce the $1.1m funding.

The money will go towards the wages of full-time Budj Bim world heritage ranger positions at Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, managing and protecting the area which takes in the Budj Bim volcano (Mount Eccles), Tae Rak (Lake Condah), and the Kurtonitj and Tyrendarra IPA’s.

The amount is essentially a continuation of the rangers  program which began in 2020, the year after the ground-breaking UNESCO listing campaign was successful.

Gunditj Mriring Acting Executive Manager of Programs Erin Rose said the rangers are kept incredibly busy by the wide range of work they do to keep up with the management requirements and standards set by UNESCO.

“Ongoing funding is a huge relief and it's really important so we can continue to the work that we do,” she said.

“(The rangers) basically looking after the state of conservation, to make sure we can maintain that outstanding universal value.

“They do a range of works - feral animal controls, we do lots of planning work, lots of monitoring, lots of recording.

“We do revegetation works and restoration works, and are a part of lots of planning processes to make sure we can install as many of the natural values and maintain them in the Budj Bim cultural landscape.

“Then there's also the cultural elements of making sure we're keeping that strong Gunditjmara cultural connection, (the rangers) do a lot of planning in that space, as well as cultural fire that we’ve been doing, and a whole lot of other things.”

And it does not end there, Ms Rose said now they have some surety in funding the rangers will look to take on more constant research and monitoring.

 “We'll go out and do fish surveys and things like that.

“Last year we did we undertook a feral animal monitoring survey and we need to do that again over the next two years, so it's just continuous monitoring, with lots of planning and lots of community engagement work in between.”

Ms Ermacora said it “meant a lot” to be able to deliver the funding announcement, having a relationship with the work at Budj Bim dating back to a visit to the area to mark the recognition of Gunditjmara native title determination in 2007, when she was a Warrnambool councillor.

“Every time I come out I learn new details, a new perspective, so it's always a great honour to come here,” she said.

“It's very exciting to hear exactly the work they're doing.

“It's a balance between working with science scientists, whether that's water, feral animals, or eel, and how important that work is to re-activate the knowledge and to also complement that with the scientific research so and linking that to culture.”

“What a thrill to have Tae Rak, Budj Bim and this landscape in my electorate, its world heritage status, 6,600 years old as evidenced by scientific analysis, it’s older than the pyramids, and that’s now being documented in such a beautiful and articulate way.

“That’s an important thing not just for here but the whole nation.”   

The rangers work closely alongside the Budj Bim ranger program at Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation, who also recently secured funding for the coming years.

Winda-Mara ranger mentor and former long-time Gunditj Mirring Board member Aunty Eileen Alberts said the ranger jobs provide an important opportunity to have local Aboriginal people caring for the land.

“I’m part of the older generation, so for us its all about succession.

“To see these young people step up into those roles has been absolutely fantastic, and they’re bringing with them their own strengths and special interests.

“They’re picking up all the learning, and strengthening their own identity.

Aunty Eileen and Ms Rose both make it clear that there is a lot of work ahead for the rangers, especially in wrestling back control over weeds and invasive pests, especially feral pigs, and deer.

“There are a lot of big jobs ahead, it’s going to take a lot but they love it, there is real care,” Aunty Eileen said.