New protected area: the Simpson Desert IPA

 Read here the official documents of the CLC

Pmere Atherre Antenterreme/Simpson Desert Indigenous Protected Area (IPA)

(summary of the PDF)

The new Pmere Atherre Antenterreme/Simpson Desert Indigenous Protected Area covers 47,311 square kilometres of the Simpson Desert in the Northern Territory. The IPA is on Aboriginal land and consists of the Pmere Nyente, Atnetye and Pmer Ulperre Ingwemirne Arletherre Aboriginal land trusts.

Pmere Atherre Antenterreme means ‘working together to look after two countries’ and refers to two language and cultural groups in the area: East Arrernte and Lower Southern Arrernte.

The IPA’s key sites of environmental significance include the Andado and Snake Creek lakes, Allitra tablelands and Plenty salt lakes. The area also features gibber stone plains, rocky ranges, ephemeral wetlands and floodplains. It is home to more than 900 plant and animal species. Twenty-one animals and three plants (birds nest wattle, sea heath and acacia peuce) are listed threatened species. Nine listed migratory species are also found in the area. There are habitats of threatened animals such as the crest-tailed mulgara, night parrot, bilby, dusky hopping mouse, plains mouse, princess parrot, grey falcon and eyrean grasswren.

The IPA program is an Australian government initiative that resources Aboriginal people who look after the unique natural and cultural values of their land. Since 1997 the program has expanded to support 96 IPAs, including the Simpson Desert IPA.