New research confirms First Nations people in Australia have the legal ability to veto clean energy projects on Country.
Researchers Dr Lily O'Neill and Dr Kathryn Thorburn from the University of Melbourne and University of Notre Dame in their paper 'First Nations at the forefront: The changing landscape of clean energy agreements in Australia’ suggest the wider impacts of this emergent power of veto makes First Nations consent more valuable to developers.
With First Nations people having the right to veto clean energy projects on their land, they can also 'control the development to protect cultural heritage and the environment’.
The research paper further looks into how payments are being calculated and cultural heritage and the environment protected, and also the success factors for First Nations people in clean energy developments.
The researchers say there is a need to bolster the organisational capacity of First Nations groups who currently do not have adequate resourcing.
"The need to access excellent advice for First Nations groups in Australia who are navigating these projects – as developers, co-owners, shareholders, board members and contractors – is more urgent than ever.”
And they conclude, 'The clean energy transition has the potential to be very beneficial for Australian First Nations people on whose Country much of it will occur, despite a lack of enabling policies.’