Terms and Conditions
Healthy Country, Healthy Waters, Healthy Communities: 2025 First Nations Land and Water Management Photography and Video Competition
Terms and Conditions
The Healthy Country, Healthy Waters, Healthy Communities: 2025 First Nations Land and Water Management Photography and Video Competition is facilitated by the National Indigenous Australians Agency.
1. Definitions
1.1. Author means the videographer and / or photographer who created the Imagery.
1.2. Competition means the Healthy Country, Healthy Waters, Healthy Communities: 2025 First Nations Land and Water Management Photography and Video Competition.
1.3. Competition Award Category means the four (4) categories of the Competition, and includes:
1.3.1. Category 1 – Healthy Country, Healthy Water, Healthy Communities Photography award
1.3.2. Category 2 – Healthy Country, Healthy Water, Healthy Communities Short Video award
1.3.3. Category 3 – People’s Choice Award Photography
1.3.4. Category 4 – People’s Choice Award Video
1.4. DAFF means the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
1.5. DCCEEW means the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
1.6. Eligible Organisation means an organisation that is funded by the Commonwealth Government for Indigenous Land and Water Management activities. This includes, but is not limited to, programs such as the Indigenous Rangers Program (IRP) and Junior Rangers Program administered by the NIAA, Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) Program jointly administered by NIAA and DCCEEW, and the Indigenous Ranger Biosecurity Program administered by DAFF.
1.7. Imagery means the Photograph or Video that is entered into the Competition under the Terms and Conditions.
1.8. NIAA means the National Indigenous Australians Agency.
1.9. Participant means the eligible Organisation who submits an entry on under the Terms and Conditions.
1.10. Prize means the below prizes for each Competition award category:
1.10.1. Category 1 – Healthy Country, Healthy Water, Healthy Communities Photography award:
1.10.1.1. First prize – Drone, award certificate and framed copy of the winning photograph
1.10.1.2. Second prize – iPad including protective case, award certificate and framed copy of their winning photograph
1.10.1.3. Third prize – Binoculars, award certificate and framed copy of their winning photograph.
1.10.2. Category 2 – Healthy Country, Healthy Water, Healthy Communities Short Video award:
1.10.2.1. First prize – Drone, and award certificate
1.10.2.2. Second prize – iPad including protective case and an award certificate
1.10.2.3. Third prize – Binoculars and an award certificate.
1.10.3. Category 3 – People’s Choice Photograph Prize – iPad including protective case, Binoculars, digital copy of the winning Imagery, certificate of award and framed copy of winning entry
1.10.4. Category 4 – People’s Choice Video Prize – iPad including protective case, binoculars and award certificate.
2. General
2.1. By entering the Competition, the Participant acknowledges having read and understood these Terms and Conditions, agrees to be bound by them.
2.2. The NIAA may amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. The amended Terms and Conditions, if any, will be posted on the NIAA website. Unless stated otherwise, amendments shall take effect immediately upon their publication.
2.3. The Competition is cost free to enter.
2.4. The Privacy Act 1988 regulates how the NIAA handles personal information. Further information relating to government obligations under the Privacy Act can be found at www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-legislation/the-privacy-act. The NIAA Privacy Policy contains information about how an individual may access their personal information, seek correction to their personal information, how to make a complaint and how complaints will be dealt with by NIAA. Further information about the NIAA Privacy Policy is available at www.niaa.gov.au/privacy-policy.
3. Purpose
3.1. The Competition theme is “Healthy Country, Healthy Water, Healthy Communities”.
3.2. The purpose of the Competition is to:
3.2.1. Promote the variety, depth and coverage of environmental and cultural heritage protection, conservation achievements, partnerships, research contributions and employment and training outcomes of Indigenous land managers and groups linked to Indigenous rangers and/or IPAs.
3.2.2. Promote the contribution of these initiatives more broadly to the Australian Government’s priorities under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy and policy initiatives and supporting the National Agreement on Closing the Gap including Target 8, 15 and 16.
3.2.3. Provide Indigenous rangers, IPAs and other Indigenous participants with opportunities to showcase photography, videography, and digital media technical skills.
3.2.4. Provide the Commonwealth, as represented by the NIAA, the DCCEEW and the DAFF, with a catalogue of Imagery for use in promoting the Indigenous Rangers Program (IRP), IPA Program, other Indigenous land and water management activities and the work of the Commonwealth more broadly.
3.3. Imagery entries should showcase Indigenous land and water management and may include:
- management of Country
- connection to culture and community
- transfer of traditional Indigenous knowledge between Elders and young people, as well as with their broader communities
- trips on Country with schools, rangers and junior ranger programs
- two-way learning, including conservation or cultural research projects
- partnerships with other stakeholders, and / or
- Indigenous enterprise or innovation.
4. Eligibility
4.1. The Competition is open Participants who meet one of the following criteria:
4.1.1. An eligible Organisation funded by the Commonwealth Government for Indigenous Land and Water Management activities. This includes programs such as the IRP and Junior Rangers Program administered by the NIAA, Indigenous Protected Areas* Program jointly administered by NIAA and DCCEEW, the Indigenous Ranger Biosecurity Program administered by DAFF.
4.2. The Author must have created the Imagery in the course of their employment with the eligible Organisation.
4.3. Imagery entered into the Competition must comply with the following criteria:
4.3.1. All photographs should be in JPG, JPEG or PNG formats.
4.3.2. All videos should be in MP4 or MOV formats.
4.3.3. Video entries must not exceed three (3) minutes in length, including credits.
4.3.4. The Imagery should be in the best resolution possible. For example, minimum size in pixels: 3500 x 2480 or A4 page or 8 1/2” x 11”.
4.3.5. The Imagery can be in colour, monochromatic, or black/white.
4.3.6. Minor enhancements to the imagery (such as light, contrast, filters) are acceptable however composite photos, heavily altered photos and photos that include the addition of graphic elements are not eligible for entry.
4.3.7. The Imagery must not include watermarks or any other similar markings.
4.3.8 Artificial Intelligence and other software generated Imagery will not be eligible.
4.3.9. Imagery must not have been previously published or entered in a former Working on Country Photography Competition.
4.4. At any point of the Competition, if the Participant does not comply with one of these requirements, the Participant will be considered ineligible.
5. Competition Guidelines
5.1. The Participant must be an eligible Organisation to enter the Competition.
5.2. The Participant must submit a consent form outlining the Author’s consent to use their Imagery in the Competition.
5.3. There is no limit to the number of competition entries from the eligible Organisation.
6. Entry Process
6.1. All entries must be received by 4:00pm AEST on 26 September 2025. The NIAA may extend this deadline.
6.2. To enter the Competition, the Participant must complete the online submission form before the closing date via the online Competition Platform, which is available here.
6.3. The Participant should email NIAAPhotoComp@niaa.gov.au to inform the NIAA of any technical problems encountered during the submission process. The NIAA will contact the Participant to resolve the issue.
7. Admission Process
7.1. The judging panel will be made up of representatives from some or all of the following groups: the Indigenous Rangers Reference Group, the NIAA, DCCEEW, DAFF and independent Indigenous artists/creatives (Judges).
7.2. The NIAA will review and decide, in consultation with the judging panel, if the entry complies with all the requirements stated in the Terms and Conditions.
7.3. The NIAA’s decision over the admission of the entry is final.
7.4. An entry containing any infringing, threatening, false, misleading, abusive, harassing, libellous, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, scandalous, inflammatory, pornographic, or profane content will be rejected.
8. Judging process
8.1. The Judges will use the following criteria to shortlist and select the winners:
8.1.1. Alignment with purpose of the Competition: How well the entry aligns with the purpose of the Competition.
8.1.2. Story-telling: How well the entry conveys the story being told by the participant in the 150-word summary submitted. Is the subject matter in the image appropriate to convey the story?
8.1.3. Creativity: How much creativity has the participant shown in creating the Imagery?
8.2. The Imagery shortlisted by the Judges will be announced on the NIAA and Competition Platform. The Participants will be informed about this through the Competition Platform and / or by email and / or by telephone.
8.3. The winners will be publicly announced by the NIAA. The Participants will be informed about this through email and / or by telephone by the NIAA.
9. Awards
9.1. There are four competition award categories – the Photography Award, the Healthy Country, the Short Video Award, the People’s Choice Photography Award and the People’s Choice Video Award.
9.1.1. The Healthy Country, Healthy Water, Healthy Community Photography Award is open to all Eligible Participants. This category will have a first, second and third award.
9.1.2. The Healthy Country, Healthy Water, Healthy Community Video Award is open to all Eligible Participants. This category will have a first, second and third award.
9.1.3. The People’s Choice Award is open to all eligible Participants. This award will be chosen by the general public through an open call to vote for their favourite Imagery (Photography and Short Video) through the Competition Platform website.
9.2. The Participant will receive the awards for the winning entries.
9.3. If no ceremony takes place, or the winner/s are unable to receive the prize, the Participant will receive the prize directly from the NIAA.
9.4. Winners will be contacted via phone and email by the NIAA once the judging of submitted entries has occurred. When contacted, the Participant will need to confirm the address the Prize/s will be dispatched to. Awards are non-transferable. The shipping costs of all prizes will be borne by NIAA.
9.5. If a winner is found ineligible under these Terms and Conditions, the Prize/s will be awarded to the next eligible winner of the Competition.
9.6. The winners (as represented by the Eligible Organisation) will have 14 days from the date of contact to claim their Prize by responding to the NIAA by email or phone. If a winner is unreachable and the NIAA has made attempts to contact the winner using the contact information provided on the Entry and Consent Form, then the Prize will be awarded to the next eligible winner of the Competition.
10. Intellectual Property
10.1. All entries to the Competition must be accompanied by a completed online Entry Form and signed Consent Forms.
10.2. The Eligible Organisation must obtain, and is required to acknowledge that they have, written consent from the Author and from all people shown in the photo to enter the photo into the Competition.
10.3. Where there is Imagery of persons in a photograph or a video, the entry must be accompanied by a Consent Form signed by any person appearing in the entry.
10.4. All Imagery must also include other relevant information including:
10.4.1. name of the Author
10.4.2. names and contact details of any persons in the photos
10.4.3. name of ranger or IPA group (organisation)
10.4.4. location of the photo/video/s.
10.5. Intellectual Property rights in all Imagery will remain with the eligible Organisation, except as provided by these conditions.
10.6. By signing a completed Entry and Consent Form and submitting Imagery on the Competition Platform, the Participant:
10.6.1. grants the Commonwealth, as represented by the NIAA, the DCCEEW, and the DAFF, a 2-year, royalty-free, worldwide, non-exclusive licence (including a right of sub-licence) to use, reproduce, communicate, broadcast, publish, distribute, adapt and modify the Imagery in all media of expression now known or later developed, and in all languages for any purpose specified in these Terms and Conditions, as outlined in clause 10.7. This licence only extends to non-commercial use of the Imagery;
10.6.2. consents to any of the following types of acts or omissions by the Commonwealth:
10.6.2.1. supplementing the Imagery with any other material; and
10.6.2.2. use of the Imagery in a different context to that originally envisaged;
10.6.2.3. may be requested to physically sign a licence and consent form relating to the Imagery, prior to the competition being finalised. Failure to sign the licence will entitle the NIAA to remove the Participant’s Imagery from the Competition;
10.6.2.4. agrees that the Commonwealth, as represented by the NIAA, the DCCEEW, and the DAFF, may publish on or in any material in which the artwork is used or reproduced, any Personal Information provided by the Participant in connection with the Imagery including, but not limited to, the Author and / or Participant’s name, age, gender, community and mob; and
10.6.2.5. warrants that at the time of submitting the Imagery on the Competition Platform that there is no cultural or religious reason, or any other impediment that prevents the Imagery from being exhibited, published or reproduced.
10.7. The Commonwealth’s purpose in using, or sublicensing the use of, the Imagery is for the following purposes, and anything incidental to such purposes:
10.7.1. Educational – may be used in printed or digital materials such as guidance documents, educational material about Commonwealth Government ranger programs including the Junior Ranger Program, school-based resources and/or other educational resources
10.7.2. Promotional – in printed or digital materials that promote the Commonwealth Government, NIAA, DCCEEW, DAFF, Indigenous Rangers Program, Indigenous Protected Areas Program, Indigenous Ranger Biosecurity Program and/or the Junior Ranger Program.
10.7.3. Capacity-building – may be used in printed or digital materials that relate to Indigenous land and water management capacity building activities such as community of practice materials, sector strategy materials and
10.7.4. Related communication – social media, website content, newsletter content, and other communications.
10.8. If the Commonwealth, as represented by the NIAA, the DCCEEW, and the DAFF, seek to use the Imagery 2 years after the announcement of the winning entries, the Commonwealth will notify the Participant and anyone appearing in the imagery. If the Author, Participant, or anyone appearing in the Imagery does not want their Imagery used, the Commonwealth will endeavour not to use the Imagery in new material, for any purpose after this period.
10.9. In case of any sensitivities arising at any stage during or after the competition in relation to Imagery entered into the competition, contact the NIAA at NIAAPhotoComp@niaa.gov.au. The NIAA will discuss the sensitivity with the Participant and will take necessary action to address the concerns, including removing Imagery from the public access or deleting the Imagery, if necessary.
11. General Disclaimer
11.1. The NIAA will not be held responsible for any unauthorised use made by a third party of the Imagery.
11.2. The NIAA may cancel the Competition at any time. If this occurs, Participants will be informed via the NIAA website.
11.3. The Participant indemnifies the Commonwealth, as represented by the NIAA, against all claims, demands, losses and damages that the Commonwealth incurs as a result of a breach of any warranties and obligations given by the Participant under these Terms and Conditions.
11.4. The Participant must accept the Terms and Conditions of the Competition to enter the Competition.
* IPAs may be dedicated or in consultation phase.