2022-04-22
“First Nations people are the first knowledge holders. Caring for Country is our birthright,” said the Greens spokesperson for First Nations: Gunnai, Gunditjmara and DjabWurrung Senator Lidia Thorpe.
“Successive governments have undermined Aboriginal land rights and heritage protections to favour big corporations, who often make big donations to the Liberal and Labor parties. It’s time to hand decision-making about what happens on Country back to First Nations people.”
The Greens have announced a Caring for Country policy that will:
- Strengthen laws to protect First Nations tangible and intangible heritage, knowledge, and intellectual property
- Expand Indigenous Protected Areas that are owned, cared for and managed by First Nations people
- Triple funding for First Nations ranger programs as Ranger programs deliver up to $3 worth of environmental and socio-economic value for every dollar spent. This is a $767m commitment
“We need better laws to protect First Nations heritage and Country. The Greens will legislate environmental personhood to areas of First Nations significance. Environmental personhood is giving nature, or parts of nature (like mountains, rivers, and lakes) rights in the same way that humans have rights.
“Environmental personhood reconfigures our relationship to the lands we inhabit through an Aboriginal lens. We rely on our lands, waters and sky to survive. Likewise, our lands, waters and sky rely on us to survive. Our policy reflects this connection to Country.”
“Billionaires, big polluters and big corporations will foot the bill. They have profiteered off stolen lands for decades. It’s about time they Pay the Rent and work with us to heal Country, for everybody's benefit.” Said Thorpe.