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The Kiwirrkurra Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) Marruwa Remote Ranger Base is transforming land management by providing a strategic hub for Rangers and Traditional Owners to carry out vital environmental and cultural initiatives. This new facility powers ongoing stewardship efforts, enabling more frequent fire management, protection of threatened species, and fee-for-service work.
May - July 2024
Murruwa, Gibson Desert
Kiwirrkurra IPA
Western Australia
Tjamu Tjamu Aboriginal Corporation, Traditional Owners and Kiwirrkurra Rangers
“This makes me really proud building this on my country. I’m really excited to bring families here” – Angus Tjungurrayi
“This can be for anyone to come up and study with my family” – Robert Nanala
Marruwa was chosen as the site for the new ranger base due to its central location within a priority management zone, frequently visited by rangers for essential conservation activities. Rangers and Traditional Owners worked closely together throughout the design process to fine-tune plans and ensure the base would meet the practical needs of ongoing cultural and land management work.
Building the Marruwa Remote Ranger Base involved navigating significant logistical challenges, from transporting heavy materials across vast distances to coordinating machinery and skilled labour. Crucially, a mineral exploration company with a nearby camp supported the project by providing trucks to transport large materials like the septic tank, water tanks, and shed components, as well as offering their front-end loader to assist with septic tank installation. The rangers then rolled up their sleeves and took a hands-on approach that spanned everything from levelling the ground around the septic tank to mastering building techniques such as mixing concrete, assembling building frames, roofing, and sheeting walls. The final base includes solar electricity and rainwater tanks. Along with rainwater, the tanks can also be filled by water trucks travelling to the nearby mineral exploration camp when needed.
The facility now offers a secure and comfortable space that enables teams to work more regularly and for longer durations, enhancing their capacity to protect vulnerable species such as the ninu (bilby) and night parrot, while also conducting surveys of lesser-known populations like tjalapa (great desert skink) and kakarratul (northern marsupial mole). With the infrastructure to support extended stays, rangers can visit the Marruwa area more frequently, particularly during optimal conditions for ‘right way’ fires, or when critical species monitoring is needed. Active control of feral cats is now underway through aerial 1080 baiting, and the base allows rangers to track the success of this management approach.
The collaboration between Traditional Owners and Rangers during the planning and construction phases has strengthened the bonds between these groups, fostering a sense of ownership in the land management work being undertaken. The facility is not just a functional space for conservation efforts, but also a hub for cultural activities, allowing for the hosting of workshops, ranger exchange programs, and other community events.
Three months after the base had been established, it had already been used multiple times for family visits, camping with journalists, ranger fee-for-service work, ecological work and by cultural heritage supervisors
Five rangers travelled to Marruwa in late May to install the septic tank
Seven rangers travelled to Marruwa for the main construction efforts in July including part-time rangers and new rangers
Looking ahead, future trips will allow the team to collaboratively refine the layout of the kitchen, office, and storage spaces, with the addition of roll-down shade on the shed’s open side as a priority. Long-term plans include the installation of a 10ft shipping container for permanent storage of camping, cooking, and work equipment. With Traditional Owners increasingly spending time at the base, they have begun to envision additional improvements such as concrete flooring, extra sleeping quarters, internet access, and lockable storage.
The base will also serve as a key hub for the Kiwirrkurra Junior Ranger program and ranger exchange groups, with the space available for workshops, meetings, and planning sessions. As mineral exploration activity around the area increases, the base will become a hub for Traditional Owners engaged in environmental and cultural heritage surveys.
The Marruwa base is more than a structure—it’s a dynamic space which will support Indigenous-led conservation efforts in one of the remotest parts of Australia’s desert country.
The Kiwirrkurra Rangers would like to acknowledge Tjamu Tjamu Aboriginal Corporation for administrative support, WA1 for the use of machinery, Des Bunter for planning and construction and IDA Foundation for making this dream a reality.
Eager to make a lasting impact on a whole community like Kiwirrkurra?
Donate today or contact foundation@indigenousdesertalliance.com to learn more.
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