Welcome to National NAIDOC Week running from 5 to 12 July 2026, and this year’s theme, “50 Years of Deadly,” marks five decades of NAIDOC as a national celebration of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In Aboriginal English, “deadly” means excellent, and the theme carries both pride and defiance. It honours the Elders, organisers, artists and communities who built the movement and kept it going, and it looks ahead to the next fifty years, led by young people growing up proud, the return of language, and the return to Country. The national celebrations are hosted in Mparntwe (Alice Springs).

For regulators, and especially those working across environment and natural resources, the impacts of this week are more far reaching than an entry in the calendar. First Nations peoples have cared for these lands and waters for tens of thousands of years, and that knowledge and leadership sit at the heart of how modern regulation is evolving. Co-management arrangements, Indigenous ranger programs, cultural heritage protection, and the growing recognition of traditional ecological knowledge are all reshaping regulatory practice. NAIDOC Week is a moment to reflect on how our work can better support self-determination, cultural safety and long-term relationships, not just for one week but as a standing part of good regulation.

How regulators can get involved meaningfully

From a public service perspective, that can mean attending a local NAIDOC event with colleagues, making sure your Acknowledgement of Country is considered rather than routine, supporting First Nations-led initiatives in your work, and listening to how regulatory decisions land in community. The contributions that matter most are the ones that continue after the week ends: embedding First Nations voices in program and policy design, and building relationships based on trust.

Personally, you might attend a community celebration, learn about the Country you live and work on, support First Nations artists and businesses, or take the time to read and listen.

NAIDOC Week resources

• Explore the official NAIDOC Week website for the current theme, posters, logos, resources, downloads and local events.
• Download the official NAIDOC Week 2026 education resources to support staff learning, reflection and team conversations.

Respectful engagement and partnerships

• Explore the AIATSIS Code of Ethics to strengthen respectful and ethical engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Review the AIATSIS principles for engagement in projects concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Download the Free, Prior and Informed Consent guidance for better-practice engagement with First Nations communities.
• Explore the APS First Nations Partnerships Playbook for practical guidance on building stronger partnerships with First Nations people and organisations.
• Download the ILSC Engagement Framework for guidance on cultural safety, self-determination, Free, Prior and Informed Consent, data empowerment and ethical engagement.

Environmental regulation and approvals

• Review the EPBC Act First Nations engagement guidance for referrals, assessments and approvals under national environmental law.
• Download the interim EPBC Act engagement guidance for expectations on engaging First Nations people and communities in environmental assessments and approvals.
• Browse the Environmental Defenders Office First Nations and cultural heritage resources for legal information on Country, cultural heritage, water and environmental justice.

Cultural heritage

• Explore Dhawura Ngilan for First Nations-led best-practice standards on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage protection.
• Browse the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance resources for cultural heritage guidance, case studies, legislation and practical tools.
• Review Indigenous cultural heritage laws to understand Commonwealth, state and territory protections.
• Check state and territory cultural heritage laws and registers before assessing or undertaking activities that may affect cultural heritage.

Native title and Traditional Owner organisations

• Search the National Native Title Register to understand native title determinations across Australia.
• Use Native Title Vision to view native title information through a national mapping tool.
• Explore the PBC national resource hub to understand Prescribed Bodies Corporate and their role in managing native title rights and interests.
• Find a Prescribed Body Corporate to identify relevant native title organisations and contacts across Australia.
• Review ORIC’s native title and RNTBC resources to understand governance obligations and the role of Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate.

Government reform and organisational practice

• Explore the Closing the Gap Priority Reforms to guide shared decision-making, government transformation and regional data sharing.
• Read the Coalition of Peaks Priority Reforms to understand First Nations community-controlled perspectives on how governments need to work differently.
• Explore Reconciliation Australia resources on RAPs, Acknowledgement of Country, truth-telling and reconciliation practice.
• Browse the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute toolkit for practical resources on Indigenous governance, leadership and decision-making.
• Explore culturally safe service delivery resources to support better practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities.

Procurement and economic participation

• Search Supply Nation’s Indigenous Business Direct to identify verified Indigenous businesses by service, category or location.
• Review the Indigenous Procurement Policy for Commonwealth procurement targets, mandatory set-asides and Indigenous participation requirements.
• Explore the NAIF Indigenous Engagement Strategy Toolkit for guidance on embedding Indigenous engagement, participation and procurement in major projects.

Legal and policy context

• Review the Parliamentary Library quick guide to Commonwealth laws relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Showcasing your agency’s Deadly work at AELERT 2026 Conference

The work regulators are doing alongside an in partnership with First Nations communities should be shared and replicated. The AELERT 2026 Conference: Future Ready Regulation running from 6 to 8 October in Naarm Melbourne is the platform where you can do just that.

The Call for Abstracts has been extended until 15 July.

Take this opportunity to showcase the work on First Nations partnership, co-management or knowledge-sharing in a regulatory setting from your agency with peer regulators across the region. Poster presentations are especially welcome, and presenters receive a discounted speaker registration rate.

Find out more and submit an abstract via the conference website

Alternatively, reach out to the Leadership Team for guidance on submitting at aelert@sa.gov.au.