A dedication ceremony for Far North Queensland's Wik Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) was held in the remote town of Aurukun on Friday, strengthening the Wik peoples' capacity to continue caring for and managing Country and maintaining cultural knowledge for future generations.

The ceremony was held alongside Aak Ngampram Day, which commemorated the 30th anniversary of the historic Wik High Court decision in 1996.

The newly dedicated Wik IPA covers 156,213 hectares of Wik Homelands on the western Cape York Peninsula, which includes ecologically and culturally important ecosystems including vast expanses of wetlands and waterholes, estuaries and beaches on the Gulf of Carpentaria, savannah woodlands, and riparian rainforests.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, said Federal Government is proud to support Traditional Owners and First Nations communities to manage land and sea Country through our IPA and Indigenous Rangers Programs, which includes the Wik Rangers."

"The Wik IPA strengthens long standing efforts by Wik Projects, its partners and the Aurukun community to protect the region's biodiversity and keep Country healthy," Senator McCarthy said.

"The dedication recognises the cultural and ecological significance of this diverse Country and is celebrated alongside Aak Ngampram Day, a testament to both the enduring connection of Traditional Owners to Country and the strength of Indigenous self-determination."

The IPA's area is home to many migratory bird species, as well as threatened and endangered species such as the Olive Ridley Turtle, sawfish, the spectacled flying fox, northern hopping mouse and northern quoll.

Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt, said the Wik IPA will protect connection to Country and boost local decision-making.x

"The Albanese Government is committed to protecting and conserving 30 percent of our land and 30 percent of our oceans by 2030, and IPAs are a meaningful way we're achieving this," Mr Watt said.

A defining feature of the Wik IPA is its clan‑based governance model, which ensures decision‑making authority rests with the Traditional Owners of each clan estate.

The recently formed Wik Rangers will support management activities across the Wik IPA, including feral animal and weed control, threatened species protection and biodiversity monitoring.

The IPA will also strengthen the protection of culturally important sites and the preservation and passing on of Wik language and other traditional knowledge and practices.

Member for Leichhardt, Matt Smith, said the Wik IPA marked "a great milestone".

"This area is important to the environment, and home to many threatened species. That's why protecting it, and prioritising local knowledge is critical," Mr Smith said.

"The dedication is also an important step in supporting cultural, social, environmental and economic outcomes for future generations."