A national research project has delivered a framework for how species and ecosystems of deep cultural importance to Indigenous Australians can be recognised in environmental policy and conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study<\/a> explored the concept of Culturally Significant Entities (CSE) \u2014 animals, plants and ecological communities that are vital to cultural identity, knowledge systems and the health of Country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Led by Professor Stephen van Leeuwen and Dr Teagan Shields at Curtin University and funded through the National Environmental Science Program Resilient Landscape Hub<\/a>, the research establishes a nationally consistent definition of CSE and sets out a pathway to embed Indigenous Knowledge and governance into land and sea management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDespite strong cultural importance, Culturally Significant Entities are not recognised in the same systematic way as threatened species under legislation,\u201d Dr Shields said. \u201cThe project\u2019s findings call for a shift in how governments engage with Indigenous Australians, from viewing them as stakeholders to recognising them as rightsholders with cultural authority and responsibilities for Country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Culturally Significant Entities may be part of creation stories and songlines, serve as totems, provide food, medicine or materials, signal the health of ecosystems, or play roles in ceremony and customary practice. A CSE may be rare, common, or even a non-native species identified as a threat to cultural values or a food and economic resource. Culturally Significant Entities are place-based cultural assets with both tangible and intangible value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over 18 months, researchers worked with 300 participants across six national workshops and co-developed 22 case study examples spanning Australia. An Indigenous Leadership Group and Indigenous-led National Project Steering Committee, including representatives from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, guided the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The framework delivered three key outcomes: a national CSE definition by Indigenous Australians; agreement on biocultural objectives to guide identification and management of CSE; and recommendations for legislative and policy reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Participants identified urgent actions, including embedding Indigenous Knowledge in environmental planning, creating Indigenous Knowledge and Science teams within agencies, mandating Indigenous representation in environmental decision-making, and redesigning monitoring and funding systems to include Indigenous-led biocultural measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Longer-term recommendations include establishing an Indigenous Land and Sea Commissioner with statutory powers, recognising CSE as a new category of environmental significance under law, and aligning legislation with international obligations such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples<\/a> and the Nagoya Protocol<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Explore the case study examples map here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","post_title":"Nationally defined framework to recognise Culturally Significant Entities","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nationally-defined-framework-to-recognise-culturally-significant-entities","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-04-17 11:19:22","post_modified_gmt":"2026-04-17 03:19:22","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/?post_type=media-release&p=30964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"media-release","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":30929,"post_author":"4493","post_date":"2026-04-16 17:02:00","post_date_gmt":"2026-04-16 09:02:00","post_content":"\n New Curtin University-led research has used a radio telescope that spans the Earth to snap images that measure the immense power of jets from black holes, confirming scientists\u2019 theories of how black holes help shape the structure of the Universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a paper published in Nature Astronomy, researchers found the power of the jets in Cygnus X-1 \u2013 a system comprised of the first confirmed black hole and a supergiant star \u2013 was equivalent to the power output of 10,000 Suns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To record the measurement, researchers used an array of linked up telescopes separated by large distances to observe the black hole jets being buffeted by the winds of the star as the black hole moved around its orbit \u2013 much like how strong winds on Earth can push around water in a fountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By knowing the power of the wind and measuring how much the jets were bent, the researchers could determine the instantaneous power of the jets for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, they were able to determine the speed of the black hole\u2019s jets \u2013 about half the speed of light, or 150,000 km per second \u2013 another measurement that has challenged scientists for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The research was led from the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy<\/a> (CIRA) and the Curtin node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research<\/a> (ICRAR), in collaboration with the University of Oxford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lead author Dr Steve Prabu<\/a>, who worked at CIRA at the time of the research and who is now based at the University of Oxford, said researchers were able to make the measurement using a sequence of images of the \u201cdancing jets\u201d \u2013 a term he used to describe the jets\u2019 movement pattern as they were repeatedly deflected in different directions by the supergiant star\u2019s powerful winds as the star and black hole moved around their orbits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Prabu said the measurement allowed scientists to understand what fraction of the energy released around black holes could be deposited into the surrounding environment, thereby changing the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA key finding from this research is that about 10 per cent of the energy released as matter falls in towards the black hole is carried away by the jets,\u201d Dr Prabu said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is what scientists usually assume in large-scale simulated models of the Universe, but it has been hard to confirm by observation until now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Co-author Professor James Miller-Jones<\/a>, from CIRA and the Curtin node of ICRAR, said previous methods could only measure the average jet power over thousands or even millions of years, preventing accurate comparisons with the X-ray energy released instantaneously from the infalling matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"And because our theories suggest that the physics around black holes is very similar, we can now use this measurement to anchor our understanding of jets, whether they are from black holes 10 or 10 million times the mass of the Sun,\" Professor Miller-Jones said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"With radio telescope projects such as the Square Kilometre Array Observatory currently under construction in Western Australia and South Africa, we expect to detect jets from black holes in millions of distant galaxies, and the anchor point provided by this new measurement will help calibrate their overall power output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBlack hole jets provide an important source of feedback to the surrounding environment and are critical to understanding the evolution of galaxies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other collaborating institutions included the University of Barcelona, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Lethbridge and the Institute of Space Science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The paper, \u2018A jet bent by a stellar wind in the black hole X-ray binary Cygnus X-1\u2019, published in journal Nature Astronomy<\/a>, can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"\u2018Dancing jets\u2019 from black hole reveal their immense power","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"dancing-jets-from-black-hole-reveal-their-immense-power","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-04-15 16:37:51","post_modified_gmt":"2026-04-15 08:37:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/?post_type=media-release&p=30929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"media-release","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":30933,"post_author":"4457","post_date":"2026-04-16 08:40:51","post_date_gmt":"2026-04-16 00:40:51","post_content":"\n The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success<\/a> (ACSES) is pleased to welcome youth advocate in higher education Mr Dylan Storer as the newest member of its Advisory Board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Studying journalism at Curtin University and President of the Curtin Student Guild, Mr Storer will bring an invaluable perspective to the ACSES Advisory Board as its newest student representative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a first-in-family student originally from Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley, Mr Storer is passionate about improving equity in higher education and ensuring universities work for students from all backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr Storer is dedicated to strengthening the student voice in university decision-making and works closely with students, staff and community organisations to advance a more equitable and supportive university system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During his time as Guild President, he has focused on practical reforms to reduce barriers to studying, including cost-of-living initiatives such as the Guild Food Pantry and $5 Student Saver Meals, stronger student support services and advocacy for fairer housing and academic flexibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr Storer said he was looking forward to bringing a strong student voice to the table and helping push for a higher education system that genuinely opens doors for students form every background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m really proud to be joining the ACSES Advisory Board,\u201d Mr Storer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs someone who grew up in remote WA and was the first in my family to attend university, I know that talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Curtin University Vice-Chancellor and ACSES Advisory Board Chair Professor Harlene Hayne<\/a> said she looked forward to working alongside Mr Storer on the Board\u2019s commitment to widening participation in Australian higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs Curtin Guild President, Mr Storer has demonstrated his commitment to equity across all areas of the university experience,\u201d Professor Hayne said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n