A new funding round has just opened to support Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) consultation projects across Australia.

Released through the Australian Bushland Program, this grant opportunity is designed to support Traditional Owners to explore whether declaring an IPA on their Country is the right pathway for them. The funding strategically targets currently under-represented areas of the National Reserve System, with a strong focus on biodiversity and ecosystem conservation priorities.

Up to $13 million is available nationally to support a minimum of eight new IPA consultation projects over a two-year period (2026–2028). Successful projects will be supported to undertake community-led consultation, planning, governance development and the preparation of IPA management and MERI frameworks, enabling informed decision-making by Traditional Owners.

Importantly, this funding supports Indigenous groups to determine, by 2028, whether they wish to formally dedicate an IPA on their Country — recognising that this is a voluntary, culturally led decision-making process.

If you are working with, or are part of, an Indigenous organisation interested in exploring an IPA, this is a significant opportunity worth close consideration.

If you’d like to discuss what this opportunity could look like in practice — or how to prepare for an IPA consultation process — feel free to get in touch.