Ms Therese Apolonio

I am the Research Coordinator of the Indigenous Land and Justice Research Group in the School of Humanities and Languages at UNSW Sydney. As a first-generation settler of Filipina descent, my work is grounded in supporting Aboriginal landholders and communities in advancing land rights, land justice, and land-based governance in environmental and energy transitions.

I am currently part of a multi-partner research project led by Professor Heidi Norman that places Aboriginal land rights at the centre of the renewable energy transition. Working alongside Local Aboriginal Land Councils across New South Wales, we map renewable energy potential on Aboriginal land and identify pathways for employment, enterprise, equity, and care for Country. In collaboration with GIS, renewable energy specialists and land councils, we have co-produced spatial tools and governance resources designed to strengthen Aboriginal decision-making and secure community-controlled benefits.

Previously, I worked on an Australian Research Council-funded project examining the social, economic, and governance impacts of Aboriginal land restitution in NSW. My broader interests include Indigenous governance, environmental history, political ecology, and climate justice.