Indigenous Advisory Committee operating under the EPBC Act
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The Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC) advises the Minister for the Environment and Water on environment protection, heritage, policy development and First Nations engagement.
This ensures better access and engagement for First Australians.
Committee members have expertise in Indigenous land and sea management, biodiversity and cultural heritage.
The Indigenous Advisory Committee is a statutory committee established in 2000 under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) [section 505A].
The Committee:
provides advice to the minister, the department and other EPBC Act statutory committees on matters relevant to achieving the objects of the EPBC Act
is an advisory and not a decision-making body
ensures the view of First Nations people are considered in the administration of the EPBC Act and its reform
may provide advice on matters that affect First Nations peoples in the climate change, energy, the environment, and water portfolio
provides advice on best-practice standards for engagement and participation of First Nations peoples in decision-making
is not generally a consultative mechanism to seek the view of stakeholders, although this may be requested from the Committee at times
does not act as a representative group that advocates for specific interests on behalf of First Nations communities and organisations
does not provide advice on matters where there is an existing statutory committee in place to provide advice.
The EPBC Act is the Australian Government's central piece of environmental legislation that provides a framework for protection of the environment.
The objectives of the EPBC Act are to:
provide for the protection of the environment, especially those aspects of the environment that are matters of national environmental significance
promote ecologically sustainable development through the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of natural resources
promote the conservation of biodiversity
provide for the protection and conservation of heritage
promote a co-operative approach to the protection and management of the environment involving governments, the community, landholders and Indigenous peoples
assist in the co-operative implementation of Australia's international environmental responsibilities
recognise the role of Indigenous people in the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity
promote the use of Indigenous peoples' knowledge of biodiversity with the involvement of, and in co-operation with, the owners of the knowledge.
To achieve its objectives, the EPBC Act promotes a partnership approach to environmental protection and biodiversity conservation through:
recognising and promoting First Nations people's role in, and knowledge of, the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity
the involvement of the community in management planning.
The EPBC Act provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places. Defined under the Act, these 9 matters of national environmental significance are:
world heritage properties
national heritage places
wetlands of international importance (often called 'Ramsar' wetlands)
nationally threatened species and ecological communities
migratory species
Commonwealth marine areas
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
nuclear actions (including uranium mining)
a water resource, in relation to coal seam gas development and large coal mining development.
The EPBC Act also protects the environment when actions are taken:
on Commonwealth land or impact upon Commonwealth land
by an Australian Government agency anywhere in the world
that impact Commonwealth heritage places overseas.
Members are appointed by the Minister for the Environment based on their skills, experience and expertise in:
Indigenous land and sea management
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
cultural heritage management.
All members are to be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and are not appointed to represent regions or organisations.
Committee members
Dr Rohan Henry, Chair
Ms Rebecca Halliday, Member
Dr Cassandra Hunter, Member
Ms Liz Wren, Member.
The Committee meets for face-to-face meetings in Canberra up to 2 times a year.
Virtual committee meetings are held as required for the Committee to consider and develop advice for the minister and the department.
IAC Secretariat First Nations Branch Portfolio Strategy Division Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water GPO Box 3090 CANBERRA ACT 2601
