More than 75 representatives from the South Australian Aboriginal Land & Sea Sector - Aboriginal Rangers, Indigenous Protected Area Managers, Aboriginal Land & Sea Management staff, Traditional Owner groups interested in caring for Country work and other stakeholders - came together in Hahndorf for a two-day workshop last week.

Traditional Owners from Cooper Pedy to Port Augusta, the APY Lands to the Far West Coast, the Murray Riverlands and beyond, gathered with the aim of sharing knowledge, aspirations and common challenges, and called for the South Australian government to increase its support for community-based Aboriginal ranger and caring for Country programs.

It was the first time such a large group from the South Australian Aboriginal land and sea management sector had come together to discuss how the state government can better support the important work of Traditional Owners caring for Country.

Organisers noted that unlike Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, the South Australian government has not yet developed a dedicated program to support community-based Aboriginal land and sea management.

Queensland Government supports 200 ranger positions in Aboriginal-run organisations, has a dedicated support unit, offers grants and is investing approximately $25 million per year; Northern Territory has an eight-year grant program for projects and infrastructure; and Western Australia runs a grants program which has just been extended for another four years.

During the conference the SA Aboriginal Rangers group met with the state's Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate Environment and Water, Dr Susan Close, and Greens SA parliamentary co-leader Tammy Close and urged them to "get behind traditional owners and grow South Australian Aboriginal Ranger jobs".

SA Native Title Services chief executive Keith Thomas said: "Aboriginal Rangers provide meaningful employment and allow communities to look after Country."

"We call on the SA government to develop a strategy with the sector, establish a SA community-based Aboriginal Ranger program and to invest in measures to support new and existing teams and the South Australian network. This will benefit everyone, not just traditional owners, with healthier country and stronger communities," Mr Thomas said.

Country Needs People chief executive Paddy O'Leary said it was time for the South Australian Government to "step up and show its support" for Aboriginal Rangers and land and sea management.

"We've seen over the last few days how strong the grassroots support is from traditional owners across South Australia," he said.

"Aboriginal land and sea management is essential to protecting nature and sustaining culture. Community-based Aboriginal Ranger teams also provide opportunities for people by creating valued locally supported jobs, enabling individuals to care for their families and generate a positive economic and social return for local communities. And that can be transformative."

The two-day workshop was organised and sponsored by Country Needs People, an independent not-for-profit organisation with a network of 44 Aboriginal and Torres Strait organisations across Australia, in partnership with SA Native Title Services, Alinytjara Wilurara Landscape Board, SA Aboriginal Lands Trust, Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation, and the Indigenous Desert Alliance.

The group committed to "working together to grow Aboriginal land and sea management to protect and manage the natural and cultural values of South Australia into the future".

South Australian Deputy Premier Susan Close told National Indigenous Times the government "wants Aboriginal people and culture at the forefront of our parks network, ensuring their stories are an integral part of visitor experiences".

"This includes increasing the number of co-managed parks, better protecting Aboriginal heritage and cultural sites, and ensuring Aboriginal people have a voice on the future of the River Murray," she said.

"Earlier this year, the first five of 15 Aboriginal park rangers promised as part of a $5 million Malinauskas government election commitment started working with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Of the 143 rangers currently employed by the NPWS, 30 are Aboriginal with this figure to rise to 40 in the next two years. These new appointments are a key part of this government's election commitment to increase Aboriginal management of natural environment.

"Employing more Aboriginal rangers is helping to support culture, storytelling and language, and provide a much richer experience for people visiting national parks."

Ms Close said the SA government is "also committed to expanding co-management of parks with Aboriginal people".

"Co-management plays an important role in advancing the reconciliation process and resolving issues relating to traditional land ownership. There are currently 12 co-management agreements in place over 35 South Australian parks and reserves, covering 13.5 million hectares or 64 per cent of the reserve system.

"The co-management system demonstrates a meaningful commitment by the South Australian government to respect, hear and understand Aboriginal interests in protected areas management. It also contributes to improved cultural site protection, maintenance of traditional practices and improved management of parks through the combination of traditional knowledge and contemporary science."

The Deputy Premier noted that there are currently 13 organisations in South Australia that receive federal funding to manage Indigenous Protected Areas.

"While the South Australian Government does not currently contribute to this program, I made a commitment at the recent SA Aboriginal Land & Sea Management Workshop to meet with the organisers to explore ways we can expand Aboriginal engagement and management of South Australian lands and waters," she said.