Dr Elizabeth Macpherson
I have advised governments, private sector organisations and communities on natural resources, environment and indigenous policy and regulation in Australia, New Zealand and Chile. Having worked for many years as a Principal Lawyer and Assistant Director with the Victorian State Government, I understand the legal and policy concerns of Governments, and those that work with them.
I have a PhD on Indigenous rights and water law from the University of Melbourne and am an Associate Professor in natural resources and environmental law at the University of Canterbury. I am a fluent Spanish-speaker.
Qualifications: BCA, LLB (Hons), PhD
Specialisations:
natural resources regulation and development
Indigenous land and resource rights
cultural heritage law and policy
water law and policy
environmental law and policy
governance and policy development
Key experience:
In-depth analysis and empirical investigation of legal and policy frameworks determining the allocation and management of water across the world (Including the awarded book Indigenous Water Rights in Law and Regulation: Lessons from Comparative Experience, Cambridge University Press, 2019).
Awarded the 2021 Royal Society Te Apārangi Early Career Research Excellence Award for Humanities, for her work exploring opportunities for Indigenous peoples' water rights in laws and policies around the world and the Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand 2020 award for most outstanding book. More information available on the Royal Society Te Apārangi website.
Leading major, international, collaborative research projects including Riverine Rights: Exploring the Currents and Consequences of Legal Innovations on the Rights of Rivers and Options for Legal and Policy Reform to Enable Ecosystem-Based Marine Management. More information is available on the Riverine Rights Project website.
Indigenous and natural resource litigation, including appearing in New Zealand’s Waitangi Tribunal and Māori Land Court and as instructing solicitor before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court of Australia.
Managed major law reform projects, including heritage, Indigenous heritage, governance, planning, land and natural resources legislation and drafting and reviewing Indigenous and natural resource policies.
Provided strategic advice to government and Indigenous communities on Indigenous water law and policy drawing on comparative law.
Multiple board and committee positions on governmental and non-government organisations, including the Banks Peninsula Water Zone Committee, Lawrence Anthony Earth Organisation, United Nations Harmony with Nature programme, Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature and Canterbury Law Review.
Taught Indigenous rights, human rights, environmental law, natural resources law and land law at the University of Canterbury.
Author of many publications on Indigenous rights, environmental law and natural resource regulation, especially about freshwater and marine resources and areas.
Strong theoretical and practical understandings of the institutional and corporate structures used by Aboriginal people in Victoria to facilitate their participation in land and resource management, together with economic development.
An excellent understanding of the legal frameworks governing resource use and management by Aboriginal people in Victoria, including the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) and the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010 (Vic), as well as Victorian land, planning and resource management legislation.
An excellent understanding of laws regulating the use of water in Australia and internationally, including state-based and commonwealth water legislation, and comparative water law frameworks (New Zealand, Chile, Colombia, United States, Canada and Mexico).
Substantial experience of and expertise in cross-cultural research methodologies, which involve collaboration and participation with Indigenous peoples.
Web:
University of Canterbury (Associate Professor, Faculty of Law)
