More than 40 Aboriginal rangers and Traditional Owners from four regions gathered at Newhaven in Central Australia last month to plan cultural fire management for the year ahead.
The meeting, known as the Warlu Committee Meeting, was hosted by the Central Land Council and brought together ranger groups, Elders and land managers to review fire work carried out during the past field season and map priorities for the next field season.
Participants were joined by Central Land Council staff, as well as representatives from Bushfires NT and the Indigenous Desert Alliance.
Cultural fire management — often described by Aboriginal land managers as "right way fire" — involves planned, low-intensity burns guided by Indigenous knowledge of Country.
The approach aims to reduce the risk of large, destructive bushfires while protecting native plants and animals and safeguarding culturally significant sites.
During the meeting, rangers and Traditional Owners shared updates on fire programs carried out across their regions over the past year, including where burns had been successful and where conditions had posed challenges.
Discussions also focused on planning future burns for the coming field season, coordinating work across regions, and identifying what support ranger teams would need to carry out fire management safely and effectively, including access to training and equipment.
The annual gathering provides a forum for Traditional Owners to guide how fire is used on their Country and to ensure cultural authority remains central to land management decisions.
Planning for the next fire season is expected to continue in the months ahead, with ranger teams returning to Country to put those plans into practice when conditions allow.
