Exploring the Legal Status of Nature – Melbourne Workshop

On Friday 11^th August, AELA and CREEL/Melbourne Law School hosted  a workshop called “New Developments in the Legal Status of Rivers”, which formed part of AELA’s “Exploring the Legal Status of Nature” project. For a copy of the event flyer, please click here.

Chair: Professor Christine Parker, University of Melbourne

Report: 
The findings from the day are summarised in the Workshop Report.

Presentations and Recordings:

To read speaker presentations, please click on the title of the presentations below

• Virginia Marshall (Principal, Triple BL Legal)
  First Nations' Perspective on Legal Rights for Rivers. 
  ** Listen to the presentation.

• Michelle Maloney (Convenor, Australian Earth Laws Alliance) 
  Exploring the Legal Status of Nature

• Erin O’Donnell (Senior Fellow, CREEL) 
  Legal Rights for Rivers: the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers, India. 
  ** Listen to the presentation.

• Julia Talbot-Jones (ANU, Crawford School) 
  Legal Rights for the Whanganui River, New Zealand. 
  ** Listen to the presentation.

• Lisa Caripis (Transparency International) 
  Legal Rights for the Rio Atrato, Colombia

• Bruce Lindsay (Environmental Justice Australia) 
  Yarra River Protection Act: A New Statutory Process

• Elizabeth Macpherson (Lecturer, University of Canberbury, NZ) 
  Legal Rights for the Rio Atrato, Colombia. 
  **Listen to the presentation.** 

• Trent Wallis (Co-Executive Officer, Victorian Environmental Water Holder) 
  Environmental Water Rights in Victoria

Background

In 2017, four rivers have been given the status of legal persons: the Whanganui in NZ, the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers in India and the Rio Atrato in Colombia. In Victoria, the state government has committed to establishing the 'Birrarung Council' to be the voice of the Yarra River. These unprecedented developments have fundamentally altered the legal status of rivers in law. Will they also help us to protect them?

This workshop was also part of a broader research and publication project run by the Australian Earth Laws Alliance on the legal status of nature, and provided an opportunity to contribute to an emerging field of law and policy.

Researchers, legal practitioners and students were invited to a workshop at Melbourne Law School on Friday 11 August 2017, to hear more about these fascinating developments in the legal status of rivers. This workshop was jointly hosted by the Australian Earth Laws Alliance and the Centre of Resources, Energy and Environment Law (CREEL).