Registrations for the 2026 IDA Conference are now open.

Register

Working together on waru

3 minute read

This year about 40 rangers and Traditional Owners (TOs) from Central Land Council, APY and Ngaanyatjarra Council came together at Watarrka National Park and Kings Canyon Resort for the 2026 Waru Meeting.

The Waru Meeting is an opportunity for rangers and TOs to connect up once a year and do some regional planning for the upcoming waru (fire) season. APY Senior TO Jacob McKenzie says he thinks working with neighbouring teams “is a good idea... like teamwork. The rangers come together and be one.”

Rangers and TOs were all excited to get together to yarn up about the country they look after, the waru work they've been doing, and to plan some collaborative waru work with neighbouring ranger teams.

"Fire is very important for us mob here and especially right way fire, so it was good to get lots of delegates together from ranger groups to discuss that issue and to work together and be with each other and share ideas, share our problems, share new concepts."

John Liddle, Watarrka Traditional Owner and IDA Community Liaison Officer

As part of planning, participants talked about what good fire management looks like on their country and identified significant species that are important to them to help plan the type of fire management that could be good for those species. The meeting was also a good opportunity to learn new things from each other.

“Some of them, they know how to burn, but some of them, they’re this new ranger and they’re learning from us, so we are talking to them and they can learn."

Jacob McKenzie, APY Senior Traditional Owner

There was time during the meeting for teams to get together and plan what collaborative waru work they can do this field season, making up some fire plans with each other and figuring out what resources they need to make it happen.

Working together strong ways as a region is especially important for fire work. It allows rangers and TOs to plan right way for the upcoming field season and bring more waru palya (good fire) into country on a landscape-scale. John Liddle said he was “very proud to see them all here”.

“I think people enjoyed coming here but apart from that, getting to know each other a bit and we’ve got those links now. I think we all got something out of it and learnt a lot, so that’s pretty good.” 

John Liddle, Watarrka Traditional Owner and IDA Community Liaison Officer
Back to top
Share
View all stories

Warning: Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website may contain images, voices and names of people who have passed away which may cause sadness or distress.