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NIT: Water rights and energy top Indigenous talks agenda

In Alice Springs, a community roundtable will examine how Indigenous people and communities can participate in and benefit from the clean energy transition.

The First Nations Clean Energy Network's three pillars of community, industry partnerships and policy reform will be on the agenda.

Luritja steering committee member Chris Croker said the roundtable is an opportunity to identify ways to accelerate participation in the transition to clean energy.

"Our people are being left behind," he said.

"Compounded by extreme weather events such as heat waves and flooding, the need for an initial urgent overhaul of energy security and efficiency measures for First Nations people is clear.

"First Nations communities struggle with unreliable expensive power and poor quality housing stock and the impacts are worsening as the costs of living rise."

Mr Croker said that recent analysis of the NT Power and Water Corporation's electricity disconnection data showed that First Nations households with prepaid meters experience a high rate of energy insecurity.

"In Australia's world-leading consumer uptake of rooftop solar, social housing and First Nations communities are the last to benefit," he said.

"Getting off diesel and installing solar photovoltaics or community-led power generation shouldn't have to be a pipedream."

Karrina Nolan, a descendant of the Yorta Yorta people, said support for the clean energy roundtable from energy ministers means an opportunity to discuss what Indigenous people need.

"With offshore wind, solar, green hydrogen and critical minerals developers and investors already knocking on doors, the key equity and resourcing issues facing First Nations' negotiation of small and large-scale projects must be unpacked and addressed," she said.

"First Nations have a chequered history with mining projects and the extractive industries on their land.

"The moment is ripe for doing development right this time, protecting country and sacred sites while delivering reliable power, jobs and economic opportunity for our communities."

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