Country Needs People has been campaigning for Indigenous Rangers and Indigenous Protected Area programs which manage vast areas of Australia's environment.

For several decades, the Indigenous programs that are funded predominantly by federal and, to a lesser extent, state governments, have repeatedly delivered many success stories, not only for the benefit of the nation's natural heritage and landscape, but also in the daily lives of many First Nations people.

Country Needs People chief executive Patrick O'Leary has been keen for everyday Australians to add their voice to the campaign and continue to grow and secure the legacy of this success.

"We advocate to make bigger funding buckets and more secure funding for anyone who is committed to looking after Country," he told National Indigenous Times.

"So, you don't have to be a part of our network to benefit from that funding.

"We can ask governments to make a bigger investment that more people can put their hands up for to start up an Indigenous Rangers' team or for an Indigenous Protected Area."

This group, which is guided by its Indigenous-majority board, works closely with a network of more than 50 Indigenous groups.

The mission has been about creating meaningful jobs throughout regional and remote areas where First Nations communities live, by connecting with the passions and cultural motivation that Indigenous people have all while supporting organisations to step up and take on responsibility for their values on Country.

"With our network partners, we put this case to governments that this is a really good investment for Australia," Mr O'Leary says.

"For the benefit of every Australian, you get better environmental management and local employment where jobs are really needed.

"The work itself is meaningful and the motivation to care for Country comes from the local Indigenous-run groups that host ranger teams and deliver the on-ground work."

Mr O'Leary confirms that Country Needs People is totally non-partisan.

"We never advocate a vote for or against a political candidate," he says.

However, the Australian Labor Party and the Greens have both committed to the funding of Indigenous Rangers.

The greater objective is to engage with all decision-makers.

Country Needs People encourage petitioners to get their voice across to their local candidates to support Indigenous land and sea management, including the insistence on long-term funding security of the programs.

The group is asking political parties for a doubling of Indigenous Ranger jobs by 2030 and to ensure sufficient support and operational budgets for Ranger teams. That also includes having an equity target for First Nations women by 2030, currently sitting at 30 per cent to rise to 50 per cent of Rangers by the end of the decade.

"That's time for groups to work with their local community to make sure those men and women have that opportunity to be rangers," Mr O'Leary said.

"That takes time."

Mr O'Leary said growing the Indigenous Protected Area network is integral to ensure Traditional Owners are able to design locally run resilient governance frameworks to deliver their vision on land and sea management and to build constructive relationships with non-Indigenous stakeholders for the betterment of the land.

He explains that the protected area network is akin to a National Park, but is managed solely by First Nations people and that in total the 91 existing Indigenous Protected Areas equate to one of the largest Indigenous-governed protected area networks in the world.

"There are a number of them that are now bigger than Tasmania," Mr O'Leary said.

Indigenous Protected Areas make up over half of all protected areas on land in Australia.Country Needs People believes whichever party, or parties, hold power, the government must have a vision for long-term security for the protected area network.

"We need to manage Country in perpetuity," Mr O'Leary said.

"The jobs are really positive for regional, remote and even urban areas.

"We've seen a lot of success come out of this work, but we need to be in it for the long haul."

Mr O'Leary said the incumbent Federal Government have started rolling out the doubling of the Indigenous Rangers, but Country Needs People was staying vigilant to make sure all sides of politics supported this positive work.

Up to $250 million of additional funding from the current government was foreshadowed in the recent federal budget for increasing the protected areas, some of which will be allocated to Indigenous Protected Areas post-election although how much is uncertain.

Mr O'Leary said there are currently about 91 Indigenous protected areas around Australia, but there is a "lot of demand for more".

"We're certainly keen for the Opposition to reiterate the support that we have previously had and clarify that support is there going forward," he said.

"We're hoping that's the case, but, of course, we have to ask the question."

Country Needs People will be publishing a summary of the responses they have from different politicians on their webpage under 'Where the pollies stand' but will not advocate a vote for or against any candidate prior to the election at www.CountryNeedsPeople.org.au

"We don't want this to be just one side of politics owning it over the other," Mr O'Leary said.

"We think this should be beyond politics."