Nyul Nyul Indigenous Protected Area

The Nyul Nyul Indigenous Protected Area was officially dedicated in May 2025 at Beagle Bay Community on the Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia. This significant event marks a major milestone in the protection and management of Nyul Nyul Country.

Covering 144,493 hectares of land rich in cultural and ecological value, the Nyul Nyul Indigenous Protected Area will protect important freshwater springs, monsoon vine thickets, and threatened species such as the greater bilby and short-nosed sea snake.

The protected area preserves these unique landscapes and provides a nationally recognised framework for Aboriginal-led conservation and land management. In addition to environmental resilience and cultural heritage protection, Indigenous Protected Area communities report benefits of empowerment, cultural connection and wellbeing, as well as broader socio-economic benefits for local communities.

The Nyul Nyul Indigenous Protected Area was officially dedicated on 15 May 2025 at Beagle Bay Community, Western Australia.
Image: Kimberley Land Council

Working together

The Nyul Nyul people are represented by the Nyul Nyul Prescribed Body Corporate. This registered native title body corporate holds native title rights and interests in trust for the Nyul Nyul native title holders.

The National Indigenous Australians Agency partnered with the Nyul Nyul PBC, the Kimberley Land Council and Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to develop the Nyul Nyul Healthy Country and IPA Management Plan for 2024 ꟷ 2034.

To guide the plan’s development, the Nyul Nyul PBC appointed an Indigenous Protected Area Steering Committee, which worked closely with the Kimberley Land Council project manager. Under the guidance of the Traditional Owners, the management plan was created to preserve the cultural and ecological integrity of Nyul Nyul Country, outlining actions to protect natural and cultural values.

Benefits for the community

Securing Indigenous Protected Area recognition is a significant accomplishment, ensuring the Nyul Nyul people can care for Country and manage it according to their traditions. Some native title groups are using their protected areas to develop tourism businesses and immersion experiences, undertake environmental management, and research contracts and fire management projects.

Key initiatives underway across the Nyul Nyul Indigenous Protected Area over the 2024ꟷ25 included:

• community fire planning and management
• expansion of science programs engaging youth in traditional and western science
• establishment of a green turtle monitoring program
• protection of the monsoon vine thicket and seed collection activities.

Western Australia is now home to 22 Indigenous Protected Areas, extending from the Uunguu in the northwest Kimberley to Ngadju in the Goldfields-Esperance region. With the addition of the Nyul Nyul Indigenous Protected Area, 24% of Australia’s landmass is now protected under the Australian National Reserve Scheme. The Australian Government has set a national target to protect and conserve 30% of Australia’s landmass and 30% of Australia’s marine areas by 2030.

Find out more

National Indigenous Australians Agency (n.d.) Indigenous Protected Areas, NIAA website, accessed 7 August 2025.

Kimberley Land Council (2024) Indigenous Protected Areas, Kimberley Land Council website, accessed 7 August 2025.