Cultural water for cultural economies: pathways to water justice

Thanks for attending!

Thank you for tuning in to the second webinar of our 2023 series, Critical Public Conversations: Country, Climate, Colonialism. This webinar titled ‘Cultural water for cultural economies: pathways to water justice’, featured University of Melbourne senior lecturer Dr Erin O’Donnell (settler) and hosted by Dr Julia Hurst, the Deputy Director of the Australian Centre. Dr O’Donnell discussed the largely unacknowledged and unaddressed impact of aqua nullius, the settler state’s widespread failure to deliver ecologically sustainable water management and highlights the work of Indigenous Peoples in the settler state of Victoria to develop new pathways to water justice.

Over 500 registered for the event with 200 people joining live over Zoom, leading to a lively and thought provoking Q&A at the end.

Additional resources:

Themes raised in the webinar

aqua nullius- the erroneous assumption that water belonged to no one when the British invaded, how it relates to the ongoing dispossession of water, and the problems it creates for the legitimacy and sustainability of settler water law.
Dr O'Donnell spoke to the failure of settler water management and how Indigenous knowledges are needed to find a solution, highlighting work by Melissa Kennedy on the 'Cultural Water Paradigm.'
Dr O'Donnell explored how other settler states (USA, Canada, and Aotearoa/New Zealand) are transforming their relations with First Nations and water.
Dr O'Donnell spoke about the current developments and the important work of Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Owners in Victoria to develop new pathways to water justice.
The impact of First Nations leadership was noted as influencing the settler state government's policy commitments in their 2022 policy document 'Water is Life'.

Questions and comments from the audience

Given the overlay of domestic law and international law of the sea, I'm curious about the possibilities of water justice in relation to sea country. Are there any examples?
Given that all of our waterways are interconnected, are there any movements for Aboriginal-run water justice collectives happening in 'Australia' right now?
What would you consider a genuine transfer of water rights? In the past has anyone done it right?
What does good implementation look like to you for Water is Life?

Next webinar in the series

Embedding Country and Indigenous ways into health teaching with the Wurru Wurru health model

Date and time: Tue, May 16, 2023, 12:00 PM

First Nations (Indigenous) health is identified as a priority for all medical courses across Australia and the need to embed Indigenous knowledges throughout the curriculum has been well established.

Join Dr Ngaree Blow as she discusses the importance of embedding Indigenous knowledges, grounded in community & Country into the curriculum for future health professionals.

Please register using this link - https://go.unimelb.edu.au/f5is

The Australian Centre acknowledges the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung peoples (Parkville, Southbank, Werribee and Burnley campuses), The Yorta Yorta Nation (Shepparton and Dookie campuses) and The Dja Dja Wurrung people (Creswick campus) stand and respectfully recognises Elders past and present. Based on the Parkville campus of the University of Melbourne which sits on sovereign Wurundjeri lands, we at the Australian Centre are conscious we have obligations to this place and its people. We are also conscious that the University has not always valued this relationship and indeed still has a long way to go.