Monthly native title updates
Nauo Fest in Coffin Bay
On Saturday, 15 November, we celebrated Nauo community, culture and native title at the inaugural Nauo Fest in Coffin Bay.
Proudly presented by the Nauo Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, and supported by SANTS and Open Eyre Events, the free festival featured performances by Electric Fields, the Warren Milera Band, and Tony Minniecon, with Elaine Crombie as MC.
The event was a unique opportunity to commemorate the Nauo people’s 28-year fight for native title recognition on the Lower Eyre Peninsula.
Find out more in the episode of our podcast Aboriginal Way below.
Ranger funding announcement
SANTS welcomes the Labor government’s announcement of more than 900 new Indigenous ranger jobs, forming part of the overall aim to double rangers and include more women in these positions by 2030.
82 new ranger projects will receive funding, with 58 new organisations joining the Indigenous Ranger Program, as the Federal Government invests over $190 million in the program from 2025–2028. This expansion builds on the first round, which created over 1,000 new ranger jobs and supported more than 110 new projects.
SANTS congratulates all successful applicants, including South Australian groups leading vital work in land and sea management. We are proud to have supported the following PBCs with their successful applications:
Northern SA PBC consortium of De Rose Hill-Ilpalka Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, Tjayuwara Unmuru Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, Yankunytjatjara Native Title Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC and Walka Wani Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC;
Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC;
Ngadjuri Nation Aboriginal Corporation; and
The River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC) RNTBC.
We also recognise the work of Country Needs People, which has lobbied long and hard for these ranger programs. We support their call for essential operational and organisational funding to ensure new ranger positions have the capacity to manage fire, feral animals, weeds, threatened species and cultural landscapes effectively.
Learn more about Country Needs People
First Nations’ Water Forum in Port Augusta
The Department for Environment and Water, in collaboration with SANTS, recently held a two-day co-design workshop in Port Augusta to help finalise the South Australian Framework to Advance First Nations’ Water Interests.
The workshop was held over two days at the Standpipe Golf Motor Inn, where participants came together to continue shaping the draft framework.
Building on earlier engagement rounds held in February – April 2025 and July – August 2025, the workshop brought together First Nations representatives and stakeholders to refine the draft framework.
The framework aims to:
- Identify and progress First Nations priorities around water
- Strengthen cultural authority in water planning and management
- Secure access to water for economic, social, environmental, spiritual and cultural purposes
- Enable First Nations’ ownership of water entitlements
- Provide safe and secure water supplies for First Nations’ remote and regional communities.
This collaborative session marked an important step toward shaping a framework that reflects the voices, priorities and cultural authority of Traditional Owners across South Australia.
New office for Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation
The Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation (KYAC) has reached an exciting milestone with the opening of a dedicated Adelaide/Tarntanya CBD office, made possible through a tailored pilot program developed with the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT). This program supports KYAC’s role as the only Registered Native Title Body Corporate over a capital city and strengthens its ability to meet with stakeholders, coordinate heritage services and grow its operations on Kaurna Country.
SANTS Update
The Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation (KYAC) has reached an exciting milestone with the opening of a dedicated Adelaide/Tarntanya CBD office, made possible through a tailored pilot program developed with the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT). This program supports KYAC’s role as the only Registered Native Title Body Corporate over a capital city and strengthens its ability to meet with stakeholders, coordinate heritage services and grow its operations on Kaurna Country.
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