First Nations Litigants Challenge the Hubris of Australian Gas Companies

Australian First Nations people are playing an increasingly important role in climate litigation relating to the approval of greenhouse gas emission (GHG) projects, with several important cases handed down in the last few years. Here we discuss three recent court wins for First Nations litigants against the Australian gas industry. The cases of Tipakalippa, Cooper and Gomeroi highlight three things: (1) the mostly-weak procedural rights First Nations people are forced to use to defend their Country, (2) the hubris of Australian gas companies Santos and Woodside in failing to meet even low procedural law requirements, and (3) the grit of First Nations litigants in fighting for their Country, a fight that all Australians benefit from.