**Published name**
1. Are the draft principles, and goals proposed appropriate and achievable? Are there any gaps or do you have suggestions for other that could be considered?
Australia's overall climate change response that this strategy supports should be guided by a vision of improving wellbeing and increasing equity. Current vision focuses on economic benefits: this can undermine just and clean energy transformation.
2. What needs to change to ensure that First Nations people can access reliable, clean energy on an equitable basis, including those First Nations people located in metropolitan, regional and remote areas of Australia?
Access to reliable clean energy needs to be considered with other urgent necessities not accessible for all First Nations and other Australians, including housing, sanitation, education, employment and health care. Housing must be appropriate.
3. How should government and industry support First Nations people to own and manage renewable energy assets for long-term sustainability and community benefit?
Begin at community level in remote communities by replacing diesel generators with solar and battery systems. This will reduce people's energy costs, increase security and reliability, and build trust in energy transformation.
4. What strategies are most likely to improve how quality information, data and resources concerning the clean energy transformation is developed and disseminated to First Nations communities?
PowerMakers program run by First Nations Clean Energy Network is an opportunity for education for First Nations people about participating and owning renewable energy in First Nations communities. First Nations led programs build capacity and trust.
5. What is the best way to build First Nations awareness and knowledge of clean energy and who should foster and deliver these outcomes? Do you have any suggested examples?
Centre for Appropriate Technology (CfAT) supports people in remote and regional Australia in maintaining their relationship with country and provides solutions to infrastructure challenges including reliable power, water supply, digital connectivity
6. What aspects of the current regulatory environment that presently govern Australia’s energy system most impact First Nations ability to participation and benefit from the clean energy transformation? What strategies would be effective in reducing these impacts?
Support for gas developments undermines the clean energy transformation that First Nations people seek. All subsidies for gas that arise from the current regulatory environment should be transformed to support for renewables.
7. Which behaviours or outcomes should government consider incentivising through regulation, policy or programs to improve First Nations participation in Australia’s energy system?
Ending support and subsidies for gas developments will facilitate Australia's clean energy transition, and First Nations' participation.
8. What is the best way to build First Nations organisations’ capacity and expertise in clean energy development?
First Nations peoples are already building organisations in clean energy development, and this can be facilitated by two way learning, trust and adequate long term funding.
9. What is the best way that governments and industry can build their internal capacity to support First Nations participation and benefit?
Every agreement must ensure commitment of adequate time and resources for effective engagement with First Nations peoples, to build relationships and enable participation and benefit.
10. What role should industry play in supporting First Nations develop their coordination and capacity?
Industry should recognise First Nations' people right to free prior and informed consent. This includes the right to veto any project they do not support.
15. To improve First Nations access to finance, what strategies are required?
Small geographically isolated First Nations communities that depend on diesel generators should be priority for government loans for solar, wind and batteries. Soon these loans will be paid off, leaving communities with affordable clean energy.
16. What actions will lead to greater First Nations ownership of major renewable energy projects?
Explicit exclusion of natural gas as clean energy in this First Nations Strategy. Gas is a potent greenhouse gas and contributes to asthma cases, exacerbations and deaths. First Nations can own renewable projects on their Lands but not gas.
17. What are the key barriers to greater First Nations participation and benefit in renewable energy projects and how can they be overcome?
First Nations' people have the right to free prior and informed consent. This includes the right to veto any project they do not support. This is not a barrier to participation but an assertion of sovereignty.
19. What does an ideal scenario look like where First Nations people can effectively manage their Country and cultural heritage responsibilities in co-existence with clean energy assets?
As health professionals, DEA is cautious about seeking ideal scenarios. We are all human and subject to errors, and there is always room for improvement, through reflection, feedback and audit
20. What does Free, Prior and Informed Consent look like to your organisation? And how can it be achieved in practice?
Free, prior and informed consent requires adequate time and resourcing for community information and consultation engagement, and as well as the right to say ‘no’.
Historically the right to veto has been ignored at great cost to First Nations people
21. Please suggest documented examples of best practice cultural heritage protection models or standards being applied in domestic or international jurisdictions?
In Canada, principles of UNDRIP ensure that ancestral Indigenous lands and waters are protected including sacred sites and ecological habitats essential for traditional and contemporary livelihoods.
22. What can government and industry put in place to ensure that First Nations environmental values and expertise inform the clean energy transformation and that Indigenous design thinking is integrated into clean energy projects?
Engagement with local First Nations communities should be integrated into all proposals for energy developments. First Nations should be recognised and compensated for their time and expertise. This requires adequate time for genuine consultation
23. Please provide any other comments and suggestion you might have in relation to the development of a First Nations Clean Energy Strategy?
Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) would welcome opportunities for further involvement in development of the strategy.
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