A new report from the Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub research highlights critical insights into how Indigenous water practitioners identify and resist the doctrine of aqua nullius, the idea that water belongs to no one.
The report Understanding, identifying and resisting aqua nullius presents the outcomes of a series of Indigenous-only workshops that explored the historical and ongoing impacts of colonial water governance and enabled practitioners to contrast this with established First Nations water science and governance approaches.
What is aqua nullius and why it matters
In Australia’s water policy and practice, aqua nullius describes how settler-state governance continues to exclude Indigenous water rights and perspectives, framing water as a resource without inherent Indigenous ownership or custodial authority. This echoes the doctrine of terra nullius but applies it to water.
Workshop outcomes and impacts
The Indigenous-only workshops brought together First Nations practitioners to:
- build a shared understanding of aqua nullius and how it operates in contemporary water systems
- contrast colonial water science and governance with Indigenous water science, knowledge and practice
- strengthen participants’ capacity to articulate, identify and resist the effects of aqua nullius in their work
- support knowledge exchange that can be shared within communities and across water governance contexts.
Participants reported enhanced confidence in naming and confronting water governance structures that marginalise Indigenous water rights and a stronger capability to support culturally grounded water management on country.
Building capacity for Indigenous water leadership
This report contributes to the Hub’s broader research under Impact Priority 1: Sustainable people-environment interactions. This Indigenous-led water research seeks to centre First Nations science, governance and practice in water planning and policy. The Hub recognises that just and sustainable water futures require meaningful engagement with Indigenous knowledges and stewardship frameworks.
