Earlier this week, Nyiyaparli Rangers Jayleen Anthony, Jasmine Anthony, Carol-Anne Tucker and Lauren Lyndon, and KNAC Ranger Program Coordinator, Melissa Pepper, attended the launch of the Pilbara Cultural Land Management Project’s Rio Partnership. Rio Tinto will invest A$5.6 million over five years into the Pilbara Cultural Land Management Project (PCLMP) that enables Pilbara Traditional Owners to work together to preserve their Country and culture and keep their people strong. 

The PCLMP was established in 2019, supported by the Pilbara Development Commission, as a response to the Pilbara Creative and Cultural Strategy, which highlighted cultural land management as a priority and the opportunity to support Pilbara Traditional Owners to lead projects that address land management and access. The PCLMP has continued to evolve over the past two years as its members drive the design and development of a program to support cultural and conservation management across their native title determinations. Rio Tinto’s partnership will strengthen the ability of the 12 participating PCLMP members to engage in training programs to help develop tools that support cultural, heritage and environmental mapping, monitoring and management. This will also include the provision of start-up support for ranger programs, creating a network of knowledge-sharing as well as career development pathways. The priorities and training programs have been developed by Traditional Owners for Traditional Owners to increase Aboriginal ownership and determination of programs – providing greater employment opportunities and ongoing social and cultural benefits.