2026 is the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, recognising the value and importance of Central Australia’s landscapes and the people who manage them. Rangeland management is a unique science based on obtaining productive output from natural ecosystems through the grazing of livestock. We will investigate what makes Central Australia such productive grazing country, what we know about maintaining pasture productivity from native vegetation, and what research is being undertaken to maintain, or improve, rangeland management. Sustainable rangeland management cannot be understood without considering the people at its centre, the pastoralists. We will take a look at how they view their responsibilities in managing the rangelands and their understanding of the natural vegetation of Central Australia.