20 May, 2025
There is some great news coming out of our newest LALC, Wangaaypuwan LALC (WANLALC), which was gazetted in February 2023, more than a decade after its original application to constitute a new LALC.
Despite the long wait, WANLALC has really hit the ground running, being successful with their Indigenous Rangers Program submission, creating fantastic job opportunities for mob. And they have also scored a $150,000 NSWALC Community Benefits Grant to create an office space for WANLALC with due diligence currently underway. Another impressive milestone!
Inspired by their Old People who wanted access to places on Country that were significant and had cultural value for their People, the Ngiyampaa-Wangaaypuwan traditional owners fought long and hard for their own LALC.
The new Wangaaypuwan Local Aboriginal Land Council Area shares boundaries with the Wilcannia, Cobar, Condobolin, Murrin Bridge, Griffith and Ivanhoe LALCS. It includes the townships of Sandy Creek, Bulla, Kulwin, Irymple, Eremerang, Yathong, and Mawonga (IPA), Wallanthery, Lake Brewster and Melbergen. Also included the historic townships of Mount Hope, Gilgunnia, and Roto.
NSWALC Councillor for the Western Region and Deputy Chairperson, Cr Ross Hampton, is delighted with his new LALC and the gains they are making.
“The WANLALC is a welcome addition to the Land Rights family across our Western Region. Members and Board should be proud and take great pride in what has been achieved in such a short amount of time. The WANLALC story is one of many positive outcomes being achieved by LALCs across the Western Region Network. Living out west in remote and rural settings brings a unique set of challenges, and our LALCs continue to make great progress, with more positive stories to be shared in coming months’’ Cr Hampton said.
Successful in the recent NIAA Indigenous Rangers Program, the Wangaaypuwan Local Aboriginal Land Council (WANLALC) Rangers Project will be known as Wangaaypuwan Rangers, and comprise Wangaaypuwan men and women in Western NSW.
The Wangaaypuwan Rangers will provide services in caring for Country across WANLALC’s boundary and on or over borders as negotiated with Traditional Owners. The project will provide much needed employment opportunities for Aboriginal people from the WANLALC area.
WANLALC will be developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) for the Aboriginal Rangers to be trained and work in collaboration with NPWS on:
- The Yathong Nature Reserve (covering 40,000 Ha), which is being fenced as a feral predator-free area.
- Other large parks in the WANLALC area including Nombinnie and Round Hill Nature Reserves (covering approximately 191,000 Ha)
Ranger activities will be guided by environmental and cultural priorities developed in consultation with Traditional Owners, Elders, Native Title (PBC), relevant stakeholders, and align with relevant management plans of federal, state, local and regional management authorities and Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) Plans of Management.
Once established, the WANLALC Rangers project will also leverage relationships to undertake Fee For Service (FFS) activities with other Government departments (such as Local Land Services), private landholders and Shire Councils to establish a self-reliant and growing workforce in the region!
Previous stories on WANLAC on the NSWALC website:
February 2023:
New Local Aboriginal Land Council Area to join the Land Rights Network – NSW Aboriginal Land Council
NSWALC attends the inaugural WANLALC meeting:
