Crawford School of Public Policy

Episode Summary

On this week’s Policy Forum Pod, we ask if policymakers are really heeding the lessons of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people when it comes to environmental management.

Episode Notes

Public interest in Indigenous fire management practices like ‘cool burning’ has grown significantly in the wake of Australia’s unprecedented bushfire crisis. But what is cool burning, and what does the attention it has received tell us about how Indigenous knowledge is valued in Australia?

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Dr Virginia Marshall and Dr Annick Thomassin join us to talk about the impact of the bushfires on Aboriginal people, why Indigenous knowledge should be central to policy-making, and the state of reconciliation in Australia.

Annick Thomassin is a Post-doctoral Fellow at the ANU Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research. She is the primary investigator of the Seachange: Aboriginal marine pathways to social inclusion project, a grassroots, research-action initiative developed in collaboration with Mogo and Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Councils.

Virginia Marshall is an Inaugural Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellow with the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) and the Fenner School of Environment and Society.

Sue Regan is a PhD Scholar and tutor at Crawford School of Public Policy. Previously, Sue was Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, a UK-based research institute focusing on the well-being of low earners.

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If you’d like to help with the recovery effort or contribute to firefighting services, here’s how you can donate to bushfire appeals.