Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62[ 29 ] The costs and savings of creating Ranger Parks Social Ventures Australia Consulting leads the field in SROI (social return on investment) analysis of Indigenous ranger programs in Australia. It was commissioned to conduct a ten year forecast cost benefit analysis for the Create Ranger Parks proposal and to look at likely costs of setting up and running the ranger programs. See Appendix 1 for the full report. It assumed that 25 ranger groups will be needed when all Ranger Parks are under management, with coordinators in each group and a central management team being established to support the programs and to seek out and develop partnerships to leverage third party investment and additional economic opportunities. Consistent with staffing in other ranger programs around Australia, it estimated that 212 rangers (100 full-time equivalent rangers) will be required to effectively manage Ranger Parks each year. This amounts to four full-time equivalent rangers for each of the 25 ranger groups. The research found that for every $1 invested, $3.70 worth of value would be created for Western Australians, of which $2.30 would be a direct benefit to government. This estimate does not include potential income and expenditure associated with tourism or other commercial ventures, or carbon credits earned through carbon sequestration on Ranger Parks. The cost of the proposal was estimated at a yearly average of $11.5 million, which would result in an annual direct benefit to Western Australia of $42.7 million and an annual direct benefit to government of $26.5 million. “The benefits that accrue to government are vast and varied. They include rangers being skilled and trained, reduction in income support, increase in income tax, improved engagement with Indigenous communities and low cost land management.” Social Ventures Australia, October 2016 32 Cost savings Analysis of Working on Country programs has shown that they save government money by reducing the costs of public health, policing, corrective services, public housing and welfare in communities with these programs. For example, Social Ventures Australia Consulting estimated that the programs run by Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa in the western desert of the Pilbara have produced savings of $13 million over five years due to less alcohol- related crime and lower imprisonment rates, as well as services delivered such as protection of cultural heritage sites. Allen Consulting reported that the true cost of Working on Country programs was up to 23% lower than the budgeted cost due to reduced welfare costs and higher tax revenue. They reported that additional savings can come from improved health, reduced crime and stronger cultural associations.