Mimal IPA

Mimal Land Management is applying to the Federal Government to establish a new Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) in south central Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.

The proposed Mimal Indigenous Protected Area covers 18,300 square kilometres (1.83 million hectares) in the geographic centre of Arnhem Land.

The region is home to the Dalabon, Rembarrnga and Mayili people, who hold an unbroken history of land ownership and management.

The proposed IPA features a network of large rivers, including the headwaters of rivers flowing into the Gulf of Carpentaria, north flowing rivers and the headwaters of the Arafura Swamp catchment.

Its biodiverse landscape includes grassy plains (ruwurrno and rorrobo), woodland and forest areas (berrhno and mininyburr), freshwater country (djula and wah) and rock country (badno and ngalwad).

Across the area, nine species are listed as threatened, including the Northern Quoll, Gouldian Finch and Leichardt’s Sawfish. Two curlew species are listed nationally as critically endangered, three species are listed as endangered and 12 as vulnerable.

The area’s natural and cultural assets are managed by Mimal Rangers on behalf of and in cooperation with landowners and custodians.

Under an established Healthy Country Plan, the rangers manage land, water and fire, and conduct wildlife protection, monitoring and revegetation programs, weed and feral animal control, and carry out rock art, cultural history and language projects, and learning on country education programs with school children.

The proposed IPA includes 1,240 square kilometres (124,000 hectares) which overlaps with existing IPAs including Warddeken, Djelk and South East Arnhem Land IPAs. It also shares a boundary with the Arafura Swamp Rangers Aboriginal Corporation and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Wongalara Sanctuary.

The Mimal IPA would add significantly to national conservation and, in conjunction with neighbouring IPAs and sanctuaries, substantially increase the reservation of the Central Arnhem bioregion and create one of the Northern Territory’s largest Indigenous-owned conservation corridors.