‘Rights of nature’ are being recognised overseas; In Australia, local leadership gives cause for optimism

The need to protect Australia’s environment is growing more urgent, as highlighted in the State of Environment Report 2021. The concept of rights of nature, which recognizes the inherent rights of Earth’s natural elements, has gained international attention. Legal personhood, granting entitlements and duties to entities like rivers or wetlands, is a strategy to protect ecosystems. The Blue Mountains City Council and the Shire of Augusta Margaret River have demonstrated local leadership in embedding rights of nature principles.The need to protect Australia’s environment is growing more urgent, as highlighted in the State of Environment Report 2021. The concept of rights of nature, which recognizes the inherent rights of Earth’s natural elements, has gained international attention. Legal personhood, granting entitlements and duties to entities like rivers or wetlands, is a strategy to protect ecosystems. The Blue Mountains City Council and the Shire of Augusta Margaret River have demonstrated local leadership in embedding rights of nature principles.