AN UPDATE FROM THE AUSTRALASIAN IYRP

December 6, 2024

 

 

Dana Kelly, Chair of the Australasian IYRP Group.  Email: dana@danamkelly.com

 

Award Finalist – highlighting the value of pastoralism

The Western Australia IYRP group was part of the Southern Rangelands Project which was a Finalist in the National Economic Development Awards for Excellence. Being a Finalist is an achievement itself, as there was large and highly competitive field from across Australia. The National Economic Development Conference (NEDC24) in Naarm (Melbourne) in October 2024 encouraged debate from economic development professionals as leaders in sustainable, equitable, and localised economic transformation.

This award helps to highlight the important role of pastoralists in small rural and isolated communities in the rangelands. Pastoralism is the most extensive land use in the Australian rangelands, bringing in over 5 billion dollars to the country’s GDP, only eclipsed by mining.

Representing an Alliance of Southern Rangelands Pastoralist Alliance (SRPA), the Western Australia IYRP Committee, and Regional (RDAMWG), Alys McKeough, Dana Kelly, and Mark Holdsworth attended the spectacular awards dinner at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne. Southern Rangelands, Western Australia, was honoured as a finalist in the “Regions under 15,000 People” category. Although we didn’t secure the top prize, we are immensely proud that the Southern Rangelands Project stood out. This recognition motivates us, and we look forward to returning even stronger next year.

 

Alys McKeough, Jacqueline Brinkman, Dana Kelly (left to right) representing Southern Rangelands Pastoralist Alliance, Economic Development Australia and International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists

 

International Rangelands Congress (IRC)

The IYRP Australasian Group has focused on developing IYRP sessions for the International Rangelands Congress (IRC) to be held in Adelaide, Australia in May-June 2025.

A Traditional or Indigenous Knowledge Forum, with presenters from around the world, will be held in the days before the IRC. The event will be hosted by the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance Ltd (NAILSMA). The aim is to highlight the role of traditional or Indigenous knowledge in rangeland management, helping pastoralists and other land managers care for native plants and animals, both in terms of maintenance as well as restoration of country.

The traditional knowledge forum will cover a numbers of themes including:

  • Reimagining conservation through Indigenous perspectives
  • Cultural knowledge and values, and the role of medicinal plants
  • Indigenous science principles and collaborative partnerships
  • Ecosystem restoration and maintenance, and the need for both
  • Lessons from country and moving forward.

Facilitated panel discussions and breakout session will give the audience the opportunity to participate. This forum is open to all Congress delegates. Registration is through the IRC website: https://irc2025.rangelandcongress.org/ . Bookings for the different components of the Traditional or Indigenous Knowledge Forum are not yet open. The components are a Traditional Indigenous Knowledge Forum, open to all Congress delegates, and a preceding workshop on the same topics, open to First Nations peoples only.

 

Traditional Knowledge Forum Sunday 1st June

This forum will facilitate broad discussions between Traditional/Indigenous Knowledge holders, pastoralists and western rangeland scientists and rangeland managers from around the world.  Other activities are for Indigenous or First Nations people’s only.

 

Traditional Knowledge pre-forum workshop, Saturday 31st May (First Nations participants only)

First Nations Australians and international traditional and Indigenous pastoralists will meet with each other to discuss the key themes for the Forum on the Sunday. Recommendations will be developed about Indigenous and Traditional pastoralists and land managers from around the world, to be presented to a vote of the whole Congress during the last Business meeting. A few international First Nations peoples will join a short tour of the South Australia rangelands.

 

Other IYRP activities that will occur during the IRC

 

Australian Pastoralists discussion

Australian pastoralists operating stations or properties in the rangelands will outline what their lands will look like in 20 year’s time, and explain what actions they took to get there. Pastoralists from Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and from northern Australia will make short presentations and then they will join a panel discussion.

Women pastoralists from around the world

Women herders, shepherds and pastoralists from Europe, North America, Africa and Mongolia will join a panel of pastoralists to answer structured questions about the role of women in rangeland management, the benefits of women’s involvement as well as their challenges. Then the audience will ask further questions of the panel.

Youth in Rangelands

Youth from various countries will share their experiences, challenges and innovations in managing rangelands, amid climate change. As well as strengthening collaboration among young rangeland practitioners, this session will take steps toward establishing a Global Youth Alliance for Rangeland Management.

Two further sessions about IYRP are being planned by the International IYRP Support Group.

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