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We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the sovereign Traditional Owners of Australia and thank them for their stewardship of this Country, its lands, waters and skies. We respectfully acknowledge their culture and customary practices, and pay respect to their Ancestors, Elders and future leaders.

For the first time, the State of the Environment report includes a strong Indigenous narrative across all 12 thematic chapters, a narrative crafted through recognising the leadership, collaboration and authorship of Indigenous Australians who continue their connection as Traditional Owners to their lands, waters and skies.

Click to view the State of the Environment report

 

On 28 March 2025 the government assumed a Caretaker role. Information on websites maintained by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will be published in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions until after the conclusion of the caretaker period.

Due to technical issues, graphs, maps and tables are currently not displaying within the main content, however, are available via the chapter resources navigation bar. We are working on a solution to resolve the issue.

Graphs, maps and tables

Showing results 11 - 20 of 38
Figure 11 Prescribed Bodies Corporate, by year and cumulative growth, 1990–2021
Figure 12 Overlapping Indigenous Land Use Agreements
Figure 13 Indigenous Land Use Agreements registered under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) across Australia’s land and seas, at 16 June 2021
Graph showing that since 1999 Queensland has seen the highest number of agreements by far, peaking at around 100 in 2013. Western Australia comes next. number for New South Wales are very low.

NSW = New South Wales; NT = Northern Territory; Qld = Queensland; SA = South Australia; Vic = Victoria; WA = Western Australia

Note: All agreements (area and body corporate) shown for the jurisdictions in which there have been registrations (Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory are excluded). Multiple agreements can apply to any one place, depending on the purpose and nature of the agreement.

Sources: NNTT (2021), Llewellyn (2020)

For more information, go toNational and international frameworks that support caring for Country
Figure 14 Indigenous land and sea estate across Australia, and Indigenous Protected Areas, at 30 June 2020
Map showing that terrestrial Indigenous protected areas are most common around the border between South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and in the Kimberley and Arnhem Land. Marine Indigenous protected areas are found in the Gulf

Notes: 1 – Nantawarrina (58,347 ha); 2 – Preminghana (529 ha); 3 – Risdon Cove (79 ha); 4 – Putalina (38 ha); 5 – Deen Maar (427 ha); 6 – Yalata (464,397 ha); 7 – Watarru (1,657,183 ha); 8 – Walalkara (1,068,856 ha); 9 – Mount Chappell Island (323 ha); 10 – Badger Island (1,243 ha); 11 – Guanaba (99 ha); 12 – Warul Kawa (43 ha); 13 – Dhimurru (135,771 ha); 14 – Wattleridge (645 ha); 15 – Mount Willoughby (420,680 ha); 16 – Paruku (428,560 ha); 17 – Ngaanyatjarra (9,974,049 ha); 18 – Tyrendarra (237 ha); 19 – Toogimbie (4,114 ha); 20 – Anindilyakwa (261,053 ha); 21 – Laynhapuy - Stage 1 (478,248 ha); 22 – Ninghan (46,835 ha); 23 – Northern Tanami (4,003,654 ha); 24 – Warlu Jilajaa Jumu (1,616,606 ha); 25 – Kaanju Ngaachi Wenlock and Pascoe Rivers (179,889 ha); 26 – Babel Island (441 ha); 27 – Great Dog Island (354 ha); 28 – lungatalanana (8,159 ha); 29 – Pulu (15 ha); 30 – Tarriwa Kurrukun (0,929 ha); 31 – Angas Downs (320,385 ha); 32 – Warddeken (1,370,496 ha); 33 – Djelk (640,467 ha); 34 – Jamba Dhandan Duringala (38,294 ha); 35 – Kurtonitj (367 ha); 36 – Framlingham Forest (1,142 ha); 37 – Kalka–Pipalyatjara (558,522 ha); 38 – Boorabee and The Willows (2,713 ha); 39 – Lake Condah (1,522 ha); 40 – Marri-Jabin (Thamurrurr, Stage 1) (69,504 ha); 41 – Brewarrina Ngemba Billabong (261 ha); 42 – Uunguu (759,459 ha); 43 – Apara – Makiri – Punti (1,107,523 ha); 44 – Antara – Sandy Bore (842,623 ha); 45 – Dorodong (85 ha); 46 – Weilmoringle (4,073 ha); 47 – Yanyuwa (Barni - Wardimantha Awara) (130,412 ha); 48 – Minyumai (2,160 ha); 49 – Gumma (111 ha); 50 – Mandingalbay Yidinji (5,967 ha); 51 – Southern Tanami (10,153,508 ha); 52 – Angkum, Stage 1 (4,504 ha); 53 – Ngunya Jargoon (861 ha); 54 – Birriliburu (6,667,353 ha); 55 – Eastern Kuku Yalanji (20,515 ha); 56 – Bardi Jawi (126,967 ha); 57 – Girringun (14,865 ha); 58 – Wilinggin (2,438,911 ha); 59 – Dambimangari (617,211 ha); 60 – Balanggarra (1,090,905 ha); 61 – Thuwathu/Bujimulla (124,966 ha); 62 – Yappala (10,885 ha); 63 – Wardaman (224,696 ha); 64 – Karajarri (2,440,426 ha); 65 – Nijinda Durlga (186,330 ha); 66 – Warraberalgal and Porumalgal (63 ha); 67 – Kiwirrkurra (4,268,253 ha); 68 – Nyangumarta Warrarn (2,616,042 ha); 69 – Matuwa and Kurrara-Kurrara (596,642 ha); 70 – Katiti Petermann (5,043,754 ha); 71 – Ganalanga-Mindibirrina (1,093,286 ha); 72 – Wardang Island (3,930 ha); 73 – Marthakal (323,047 ha); 74 – South-East Arnhem Land (1,819,909 ha); 75 – Yawuru (115,828 ha); 76 – Mawonga (21,987 ha); 77 – Ngururrpa (2,962,988 ha); 78 – Ngadju (4,399,301 ha)

Sources: Indigenous Protected Areas from Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database – terrestrial and marine (ABARES 2018b, Jacobsen et al. 2020, ABARES 2021, NNTT 2021)

For more information, go toNational and international frameworks that support caring for Country
Figure 15 Social return on investment for 5 IPAs and their associated Indigenous ranger programs between 2009–10 and 2014–15
Graph showing that return on investment has been high – around $96.5 million returns for around $35 million investment – and have been especially rewarding for community members and Rangers, but were also strongly positive for government.

IPA = Indigenous Protected Area; NGO = nongovernment organisation

  1. Category ‘All others’ for adjusted value includes all the categories from the investment data not shown separately.

Note: The 5 IPAs were Warddeken, Northern Territory; Girringun, Queensland; Birriliburu, Western Australia; Mutuwa Kurrara Kurrara, Western Australia; and Minyumai, New South Wales.

Source: SVA (2016)

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For more information, go toNational and international frameworks that support caring for Country
Figure 16 Australian Government investment in Indigenous land management (a) for IPAs and rangers and (b) by state/territory
Figure 17 Indigenous ICIP options
Figure 18 Yugul Mangi faiya en sisen kelenda/Yugul Mangi fire and seasons calendar, Yugul Mangi Rangers, Ngukurr community
Figure 19 Crocodile dance at opening of National First Peoples Gathering on Climate Change 2021
Figure 20 Seven categories of Indigenous governance and engagement were identified in World Heritage properties across Australia