A new report has indicated unlocking the renewable energy potential of Aboriginal land across New South Wales could transform communities and accelerate the state's clean energy transition.
Developed through a joint research initiative between the University of New South Wales and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the report, Local Aboriginal Land Council Powershift, details a number of recommendations for the NSW Government to maximise the potential for Aboriginal land councils to host and own renewable energy on their own lands across the state.
Drawing on case studies base in the regional towns of Brewarrina, Hay and Tibooburra, the report highlights how locally-led energy projects can align with broader government priorities, such as enhancing regional grid reliability, accelerating renewable energy zones, and embedding First Nations outcomes in infrastructure planning.
UNSW Sydney Indigenous Land and Justice Research Group director and lead researcher, Professor Heidi Norman, said Land Councils are well placed to develop renewable energy solutions.
"Aboriginal Land Councils manage extensive land holdings, many of which are ideally suited for renewable energy developments such as solar and wind," Professor Norman said.
"With the right policy frameworks and support, Aboriginal communities – organising through their land councils – can play a transformative role in Australia's energy transition."
Across New South Wales, local Aboriginal land councils manage 447 square kilometres of land, with a further 7438 square kilometres under claim.
Despite this, the report indicates Aboriginal participation in renewable energy projects in the state so far has been minimal.
Dr Saori Miyake from UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures said developing renewable energy projects on Aboriginal land across the state could result in clean energy production "larger than the capacity of the biggest renewable energy zone under development".
"Our spatial analysis found that activating the Aboriginal land estate could unlock over 11 gigawatts of solar energy or 1.6 gigawatts of wind energy… and if outstanding land claims are resolved that potential increases nearly twentyfold," Dr Miyake said.
The report identifies key barriers that currently limit the participation of Aboriginal land councils in clean energy initiatives, including constrained resources, limited planning and governance networks, and a lack of incentives for energy partners to engage with the Aboriginal land estate.
UNSW Sydney's Indigenous Land and Justice Research Group member and expert in Aboriginal history and policy, Therese Apolonio, said when it comes to renewable energy opportunities, Aboriginal land councils have "the land, the interest, and the vision".
"What they lack are the resources, partnerships, and policy support to turn that vision into reality," Ms Apolonio said.
The report details how empowering Aboriginal land councils to develop renewable energy can help achieve the goals of the federal government's First Nations Clean Energy Strategy, and the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap by transitioning from coal to renewable energy.
UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures energy program director, Associate Professor Chris Briggs, said "four key policy moves" are required to empower Aboriginal land councils to develop renewable energy projects.
"We need programs to build the capacity of Lands Councils to participate in renewable energy projects, collaborations with Lands Councils on micro-grids in remote areas, pilot projects to develop renewable energy projects in partnership with developers on Lands Council sites and expediting lands claims to unlock renewable energy opportunities," Associate Professor Briggs said.
"We've seen before that programs led by ARENA with government and industry participation can unlock renewable energy at scale – we need to see dedicated programs and funding to do the same for renewable energy on Aboriginal land."
The report suggests land councils can help New South Wales reach renewable energy targets by; prioritising Aboriginal land for energy infrastructure siting, collaborating between planning agencies and Lands Councils to prepare sites for renewable energy development, funding for ARENA to pilot mid- and large-scale renewable projects on LALC land, and expediting land claims and strengthening cultural heritage protections.
"These are practical, achievable steps," Professor Norman said. "But they require political will and a shift in how we think about land, power and partnership."
The report argues the environmental benefits of boosting First Nations engagement in the energy transition include accelerating NSW's transition to renewables, reducing emissions, improving energy resilience in remote areas, and having a positive social impact.
"Previously the economic benefits have been limited to employment and procurement, but the report charts pathways for Aboriginal ownership and equity through hosting renewable energy projects on Aboriginal land," Ms Apolonio said.
"The social impact of Aboriginal Land Councils engaging in renewable energy transition in this way will be powerful, generating wealth to reinvest in housing, education, health, land management and cultural programs as communities see fit."
The Local Aboriginal Land Council Powershift report can be found online.