Summary
In 2019, a bill was introduced into the Western Australian Parliament to recognize the inherent rights of nature and future generations. The bill also recognizes that “First Nations Peoples, who have cared for land and sea country for millennia, have the right to speak for country and defend their ancestral lands from unwanted developments and environmental harm.” (Page 2).
The bill states that “Nature, including all ecosystems, ecological communities and native species, has the right to naturally exist, flourish, regenerate and evolve; recovery, rehabilitation and restoration; a healthy and stable climate system; and a vibrant and biodiverse community of life” (Page 4). The bill also recognizes the rights of future generations to a healthy environment, including the right to clean air, and clean water; a healthy and stable climate system; and a vibrant and biodiverse community of life (Page 6).
The bill remained in the legislative council and did not make it to a vote. The bill proposal was retired with the new state legislative assembly following 2021 elections.
Related Initiatives
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2025. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor.https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/rights-of-nature-and-future-generations-bill/.
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