Environmental Defenders Office

Aboriginal Engagement & Cultural Heritage

EDO lawyers take action on behalf of traditional owners and custodians to help them protect their ancestral lands and cultural artefacts from destructive development, tourism and mining.

Together with our Indigenous clients, we have worked to prevent 4WD vehicles trailing across cultural heritage sites in Tasmania’s takanya/Tarkine, challenged the destruction of Aboriginal sacred places by the Shenhua mega-mine in New South Wales, provided advice and representation to Garawa people of the Gulf fighting the dual threats of gas extraction and Glencore’s McArthur River Mine and sought to protect the ancestral lands of the Adnyamathanha people of South Australia from a controversial coal gasfication project.

Our statement of commitment:

We will use our expertise, professionalism and deep commitment to assist and stand with our Aboriginal clients as they protect and promote their Country, culture and heritage through law.

Our Aboriginal Engagement & Cultural Heritage Work
Protect Country and culture in Northern Territory

“This is our Country and we must be consulted”: Tiwi Islanders again claim victory over Santos, as Barossa appeal dismissed by Federal Court

Promote healthy communities in Northern Territory — 7 months ago

Tiwi Elder seeks urgent injunction to stop Santos’ imminent Barossa gas offshore drilling plans 

Climate in Australia — 7 months ago

Welcome Casey Kickett – EDO’s First Nations Director

Promote healthy communities in Western Australia — 1 year ago

WA Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill enacted amid United Nations concerns

Promote healthy communities in Australia — 1 year ago

‘States have failed’: The Final Report into the Destruction of Indigenous Heritage Sites at Juukan Gorge

Protect Country and culture in Queensland — 1 year ago

First Nations Lore key to Flying-fox recovery in the Wet Tropics

First Nations and Indigenous Peoples Program Working Group

Fleur Ramsay – Chair

David Morris – CEO

Nicole Sommer – Director, Healthy Environment and Justice

Kirstiana Ward – Managing Lawyer, Cairns

Dr Lauren Butterly – Senior Solicitor

Wotna Mori – Solicitor

Daniel Thompson – Paralegal

Caring for Country

The Caring for Country guide is a key part of our work for and on behalf of Aboriginal communities. It is intended to help Aboriginal peoples understand their rights and obligations under environmental and natural resource management law, and brings together the wide range of laws relating to country, culture and heritage that affect Aboriginal peoples in NSW.

Download Caring for CountryDownload

Data and Insights Team