The recognition of the Tiwi Islands as an Indigenous Protected Area is a landmark moment for its people, its culture and its future, committee members pursuing the agreement declared.
This week, the dedication of 718,463 hectares in the Tiwi as an IPA was celebrated after five years of consultation, collaboration and promise shared between Traditional Owners and Tiwi Land Council.
It adds the vast area to the Australian National Reserve System and hands stronger responsibility for management of Country, plants and animal species with strong cultural significance to Traditional Owners.
"Country is lonely, Country needs people," Tiwi IPA Committee member Richard Tungatalum said, with fellow committee member Ron Poantimilui adding: "'Now, we will have more support to look after Country and culture. The future looks good for us."
The Tiwi Islands cover around 8,000 square kilometres and over 1,000 kilometres of coastline in the Timor Sea, north of Darwin, and are home to more than 2,300 people - living on Melville and Bathurst islands.
The IPA dedication was made in August, before ceremony and signing on Wednesday, December 10.
"To keep our country healthy, our people healthy and our culture strong, we need to bring together our knowledge of the past with new ways of doing things today. A Tiwi IPA will help us to continue to look after our country and our culture for all the generations to come," former chair of Tiwi Land Council, Gibson Farmer Illortaminni, said.
Mr Farmer Illortaminni was chair throughout four years of IPA Plan of Management development beginning in 2020.
Early conversations had begun in 2017.
In its planning, the Land Council outlined six values with related goals.
"The IPA Committee represents all Tiwi Landowners, and it was the committee that worked together to make our Plan of Management," Tiwi Islands IPA Committee deputy chair Karen Tipiloura said in a speech on Wednesday.
"To make the Plan we talked about Country and culture.
"We talked about the things we worry about, and how we can make things better for our people, for Country, for future generations.
There are eight clans-land ownership groups in the Tiwi.
Among hundreds of animal species which call it home, 27 are listed as threatened.
There are close to 100 IPAs in Australia, covering more than 100 million hectares of land and 6 million hectares of sea.
Tiwi rangers will be empowered to manage Country under the determination, with voluntary commitment from the Land Council, and in accordance with "internationally agreed protected areas standards and guidelines".
