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North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance Ltd

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North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance Ltd

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The North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance assists Indigenous people to manage country sustainably for future generations.

03/11/2026

Expressions of Interest are open ✍🏿

Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef and Catchments can now apply to join the Advisory Group for the Traditional Owner-Led Reef Water Quality Improvement Program 💧

The Program aims to deliver on-ground, Traditional Owner-led outcomes for Reef and Catchment Country 🐠🪸🌴 and communities. It will also support and grow the knowledge, skills and leadership of Traditional Owners in managing and improving water quality.

To guide this work, an Advisory Group of Reef and Catchment Traditional Owners is being formed 🤝

We’re looking for people with relevant experience and an interest in water quality to join.

To read the full EOI and the Program’s Terms of Reference, see the link in our comments 👇🏾

The Traditional Owner-Led Reef Water Quality Improvement Program is funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust.

27/10/2026

NAILSMA CEO Barry Hunter recently took to the stage to join a discussion about Australia’s Nature Repair Market, what’s working, what isn’t, and how to design a market that actually delivers.

Held as part of the Australasian Emissions Reduction (AER) Summit on Kaurna Country in Adelaide, the discussion was an opportunity to highlight why Indigenous involvement is essential in both the design and operation of the market, as well as in the methods that will achieve real outcomes for Country 🍃

“By stepping into nature repair and environmental markets, Indigenous peoples reclaim their role as the stewards while weaving ancestral wisdom into the economy of tomorrow,” Barry said.

“When we invest in healing Country, we not only restore the land, we ignite a legacy of self-determination, prosperity, and hope for generations to come.” 🙌🏾

The AER Summit was hosted by the Carbon Market Institute.

20/10/2026

“Where is the Evidence? Mapping the fire-biodiversity knowledge base of northern Australian savannas” published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire, is a new open-access research paper led by NAILSMA’s Dr John Patykowski and Dr Justin Perry.

The paper and interactive database highlights the value of bringing Traditional Knowledge and science together to improve biodiversity outcomes across northern Australia's savannas.

🔥 1,744 publications were reviewed, with 382 studies contributing to the most comprehensive fire-biodiversity evidence base assembled for northern Australian savannas.

🤝 While Indigenous partnerships were reported in 24% of publications, only 22 studies explicitly incorporated Traditional Knowledge into research design and implementation.

🌿 The database includes evidence relating to 637 species, while identifying important knowledge gaps.

🎯 Around one quarter of studies focused on threatened and fire-sensitive species, reinforcing the critical role of fire management in biodiversity conservation.

The findings confirm there is no one-size-fits-all approach to fire management. Effective practice must be culturally grounded, place-based and informed by both Traditional Knowledge and contemporary evidence.

The interactive database can be used to find fire ecology studies relevant to different species, habitats, and geographic regions to help strengthen planning, identify research priorities, and support more transparent, adaptive and culturally informed fire management across northern Australia.

Congratulations to all authors and partners who contributed to this important addition to northern Australia's fire and biodiversity knowledge base.

📖 Read the full article and access the database: http://connectsci.au/wf/issue/35/9

19/10/2026

Check out our new Strategic Plan 📄🙌🏾

We’re excited to share our 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, which sets out our priorities and direction for the next five years, is now available online.

The plan sets out a clear direction for where we are headed and provides a strong foundation for NAILSMA now and in years to come.

Thank you to the NAILSMA Board and everyone who has contributed along the way.

You can read the Strategic Plan via the link in comments 👇🏾 or request a printed copy by emailing [email protected].

13/10/2026

🌱A recent leadership workshop in the East Kimberley brought Indigenous rangers and managers from Western Australia and the Northern Territory to explore strategies for self-leadership and effectively leading others.

The 3-day workshop was held at Wuggubun Aboriginal Community Campground and saw 19 Indigenous participants join, representing 10 Indigenous ranger groups from as far away as Bidgydanga, Arnhem Land and Borroloola.

Delivered as part of NAILSMA’s Protecting Country Against Invasive Species program, the leadership workshop aimed to strengthen existing leadership skills, and support Indigenous rangers looking to further their pathway in Indigenous land and sea management.

🙏🏽A big thank you to everyone who attended and for sharing your leadership insights and experiences at the workshop.

Jawoyn Association
Mimal Land Management
Yirralka Rangers Laynhapuy Homelands Aboriginal Corporation
Karajarri Rangers
Northern Land Council
NLC Waanyi Garawa and Garawa Rangers
Borooloola Barkley Rangers
Wagiman Rangers
Wardaman Rangers
Gudaniji Yanyuwa Garrawa Marra
Kimberley Land Council
Balangarra Rangers
Kija Rangers

09/10/2026

🌟🎉Celebrating 25 years of NAILSMA

For 25 years, NAILSMA has been shaped by people on the ground: Traditional Owners, rangers and communities caring for land and sea Country across northern Australia.

Chair Phil Rist and CEO Barry Hunter hosted our 25th celebration, bringing together people from across NAILSMA's history including those who began and led the journey.

Founding CEO Joe Morrison spoke about what NAILSMA meant from the start and the vision it held: that Traditional Owner voices would be heard and would direct our work. Alongside Joe, Professor Peter Yu, NAILSMA’s inaugural Chair, believed in what NAILSMA could be from day one.

We honoured the late Gigari George, dear to so many, who led NAILSMA for many years through both challenges and success.

Ricky Archer shared how his journey with NAILSMA began as a young man at the Youth Leadership Forum in the early 2000s and led him to become CEO in 2018.

Barry spoke of his pride in the legacy handed to him and the honour of leading NAILSMA now and into the next chapter.

🫱🏾‍🫲🏿We acknowledge Otto Campion, Dr Dean Yibarbuk and the many Traditional Owners, Indigenous ranger groups and organisations for their leadership and for partnering with NAILSMA to strengthen land and sea management across northern Australia.

To all our past and current Directors, staff, partners and supporters, to everyone who joined us on the night, and to the many people who have built this organisation over 25 years: THANK YOU! 🙏🏽

We look forward to continuing our 25-year legacy for the future of our Country, our culture, and our people.

08/10/2026

🌿When Indigenous organisations connect, powerful things happen for Country. Recently the Reimagining Conservation 2026 forum brought Indigenous Country and Biodiversity Alliance (ICBA) pilot partners together from across the country.

By reflecting on their nature market pilots, partners shared practical lessons, strengthened relationships, and identified ways to improve future work. The result was new connections and shared understanding of how collective knowledge can drive stronger outcomes for Country and communities.

🙏🏽Thank you to everyone who travelled from far and wide, contributed and shared knowledge so generously. The conversations for the new pilots may have started at the forum, but the connections and learning will continue to make nature markets work for mob.

Our partners:
Kimberley Land Council
Aboriginal Carbon Foundation
Indigenous Desert Alliance
North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance
Mimal Land Management
Juunjuwarra Aboriginal Corporation
Southern Australian Aboriginal Land and Sea Management Alliance Ltd
Jagun Alliance

To learn more go to 👉🏾 icballiance.org

08/10/2026

🪸 NAILSMA congratulates our Chairperson Uncle Phillip Rist, Reef.to Honour Award Honouree.

For more than 30 years, Uncle Phil, a Nywaigi Elder has helped transform what is possible for Traditional Owners on the Great Barrier Reef. His leadership helped to deliver the Reef’s first Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement in 2005.

Watch and listen as Uncle Phil reflects on his journey and his enduring commitment to his people, Country and future generations.

👏🏿👏🏿 Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition.

02/10/2026

🌏Time for Action | Reimagining Conservation 2026

A huge thank you to all 270 delegates from across Australia and overseas that attended the Reimagining Conservation 2026 forum on Gimuy Walubara Yidinji Country!

Across four days, the forum challenged us to reimagine what's possible, from grounding ourselves in who we are and what we know, to strengthening partnerships and changing the rules that shape our future.

The Reimagining Conservation 2026 forum is over, but we continue the momentum by taking action to work better together for a future where conservation aligns with the enduring knowledge systems and governance of Indigenous people.

We appreciate all attendees, speakers, and panelists for participating in this forum and sharing your insights, successes, challenges, and solutions to reimagine conservation for our Country, culture, and people.

24/09/2026

🌏The next generation are our future. Yesterday’s Reimagining Conservation agenda closed with inspiring young people sharing their deep love for Country and culture, how they’re looking after Country and the future they want to see.

Delegates also heard from keynote speakers about global frameworks and their local impacts, recognising Country as the law-maker and protecting our rights to tell our stories and share culture in our own way. Throughout the day, speakers, panelists, and delegates continued to stand strong and challenge the current systems to reimagine conservation for future generations.

Thank you to Tagalaka man and Living Knowledge Network Founder Victor Steffensen for a special evening talk about his latest book “The Knowledge”. Grab your copy via the link 🔗 in comments or any good bookstore.

Address

23 Ellengowan Drive, Brinkin
Darwin, NT
0810

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

+61488068738

Website

http://www.nailsma.org.au/

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