Building Capacity of Proponents
Beyond compliance: Building stronger projects with First Nations
The clean energy transition in Australia cannot and will not happen without First Nations.
First Nations are leaders, decision-makers, and landholders in Australia’s clean energy future—with sovereign rights and deep cultural connections to Country. We are not passive stakeholders—we are rights-holders. We bring not just consent, but capacity. Not just knowledge of Country, but a vision for it.
With over 60% of energy projects likely to be developed intersecting First Nations lands, our involvement is not optional—it’s foundational. There can be no just or sustainable energy transition without our full participation and consent.
This Building Capacity of Proponents Toolkit exists for one reason: to reset the standard.
It was created to equip proponents, governments and investors with the guidance needed to engage First Nations early, meaningfully, and on equal terms, offering clear, practical guidance leading to strong agreements, shared equity, and benefits for all.
It shows some pathways and provides suggestions for building genuine partnerships that are ethical, lawful, and commercially smarter—grounded in Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), aligned with international standards like the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and designed to deliver shared benefit and long-term project certainty.
And it goes beyond compliance to offer practical, actionable guidance for navigating land tenure, cultural heritage, native title processes, and co-designed agreements.
Partnering from the start: A strategic imperative
Our First Nations project tracker demonstrates the transformative potential of a First Nations-led clean energy transition in Australia.
First Nations participation adds speed, certainty, and strength to major projects. Projects that embrace First Nations rights and values, and secure Free Prior and Informed Consent, are more bankable, more resilient, and more likely to succeed.
This is not just about ticking a box. It’s about de-risking your project, attracting investment, securing community support, and unlocking long-term value. In today’s market, early and meaningful First Nations engagement is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic, legal, and moral necessity.
That’s why we’ve designed this toolkit to support proponents in their early and meaningful engagement with First Nations across the clean energy project lifecycle leading to trusting relationships, benefit-sharing and equity, strong agreements and partnerships, and sustainability on Country for generations to come.
This toolkit is not intended to replace the need to first and foremost talk to Traditional Owners and First Nations communities and to build genuine, enduring relationships.
Rather, it will assist you to find the right people to talk to, navigate Traditional Ownership and land and sea tenure arrangements, understand cultural heritage rights and processes, and explore how legislation applies in states and territories with links to various First Nations representative bodies and organisations able to assist and partner with you in the clean energy journey.
The end result? You will meet various International Standards and expectations and supply chain requirements, have a better chance of government/investor funding, and can potentially make your project more commercially viable and valuable.
And you will understand why clean energy projects should proceed only with the Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of relevant Traditional Owners, that where native title is relevant FPIC requires an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA), and that FPIC agreements will often involve equity as a component.
This toolkit is your roadmap to building the trusted relationships, equitable frameworks, and shared prosperity that define the future of clean energy in Australia.
Click on the chapters to start your journey.
This Toolkit is subject to change and improvement as more information becomes available.
© First Nations Clean Energy Network, June 2025