In the Mid West-Gascoyne region a new national park has been established through collaboration between the Jidi Jidi Aboriginal Corporation and the WA government.
Jilgu National Park, covering 102,000 hectares of picturesque mulga landscape adorned with rugged hills and watercourses, marks a significant addition to conservation efforts.
This creation contributes to the WA government's Plan for Our Parks initiative, which has now expanded the conservation estate by 2.6 million hectares since 2019.
Under the Indigenous Land Use Agreement, the Jidi Jidi Aboriginal Corporation will engage in joint management of both Jilgu National Park and the established Collier Range National Park alongside the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attraction (DBCA).
Nharnuwangga, Wajarri and Ngarla woman and Jidi Jidi Aboriginal Corporation Chairperson, Michelle Riley appreciates the certainty from DBCA to fulfill their dream of caring for their country and preserving sacred sites, emphasising the cultural significance of the parks' ancestral sites and songlines.
"DBCA provides us certainty that we will be able to do things on country, do things that we've always dreamt of doing, mainly to look after a little bit of area on our country, you know, and, to keep it safe and try and preserve it as much as we can," she said.
"They've been very, very sacred to us - both areas in both parks, we have very sacred sites that our ancestors had as sacred sites. And we've got a lot of sacred things on that country.
"We've got songlines coming from two of those hills, I danced them songlines for my Elders, and hopefully I'll be able to pass that on to the younger generation."
This collaborative effort entails the employment of five Traditional Owners for land stewardship purposes, paving the way for potential investments in nature-based tourism and other economic ventures.
Five Traditional Owners will undertake the responsibility of land stewardship, with potential for future investments in nature-based tourism and economic prospects.
Jidi Jidi Ranger Stuart Robinson said "it's good because my old people done it – my nan and pop and my other nan and pop".
"So it's that our job to do the same and pass it on to our kids so that they can do it too."
WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby hailed the establishment of Jilgu National Park as a significant step towards achieving the state government's conservation target, emphasising the cultural significance of the landscape and the government's commitment to its protection.
"The creation of Jilgu National Park is an important contribution to our Government's target of conserving five million hectares of land under Plan for our Parks," he said.
"This incredible cultural landscape deserves to be celebrated and the Cook Government is proud to be a part of a shared effort to protect this area."
Jilgu National Park, once part of the Waldburg pastoral lease acquired by the Government over two decades ago for conservation purposes, harbors diverse native wildlife species such as the black-flanked rock wallaby, western pebble mound mouse, long-tailed dunnart, brush-tailed mulgara, and peregrine falcon.
Additionally, the park hosts three priority ecological communities, currently lacking protection in other reserves.
Mining and Pastoral Region MLC Peter Foster said: "It's a special day to be on Country for this historic announcement."
"I'm proud to be part of a Government that recognises and empowers the Traditional Owners of Jilgu, who have a crucial role to play in managing and conserving this amazing country.
"The biodiversity and beauty of this area are second to none, and this agreement will ensure the country continues to be properly protected and cared for by the people who know it best."
