It... makes sense to invest more in monitoring and reporting to track environmental, cultural and social benefits, and to pinpoint any areas to strengthen. Better data will also help policymakers know how Australia is tracking towards our commitments to the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Indigenous Protected Areas are working well. But they’re not the answer to every conservation challenge. They complement but do not replace other protected areas. The complex land tenures of the more heavily cleared and densely populated areas on Australia’s east coast makes it more challenging to declare new IPAs here, for instance.

As Australia works towards its conservation goals, it will rely more and more on Indigenous Protected Areas. But we believe the success of these areas speaks to something much deeper – the fact that Australia’s oldest systems of caring for Country is still one of the most effective ways to conserve nature.>