Australia unveils massive Aboriginal nature reserve

Australia on Thursday said it has created a massive nature reserve in the country's far north that will be managed by Aborigines.

The so-called Indigenous Protected Areas in the Northern Territory contain rock art sites that are 50,000 years old and wilderness areas rivalling the nearby World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, officials said.

The new reserve covers almost 20,500 square kilometres (7,900 square miles) near the city of Darwin -- an area more than twice the size of America's Yellowstone National Park.

The plan formalises management by traditional landowners including time-honoured burning practices to help prevent the devastating wildfires that periodically sweep the Australian Outback.

Aborigines will also hunt wild animals such as buffalo and help preserve rare native plants, officials said, adding the program would benefit the local environment and provide jobs in remote communities.

"This is a major milestone for conservation in Australia," said Michael Looker, the Australian director of environmental group The Nature Conservancy, which worked with the government on the project. "The region has remarkable natural and cultural value."