Australia is undergoing one of the largest economic transformations in its history. Renewable energy, transmission, critical minerals, batteries, hydrogen and new industrial precincts are reshaping regional economies and creating enormous new wealth.

The question is no longer whether First Nations people will participate in this transition, but whether we will help own it, shape it and benefit from it for generations to come.

This session explores what it will take to move beyond project-by-project participation towards genuine economic power. It examines the conditions needed for First Nations ownership, strategic control and long-term wealth creation, including government policy, investment architecture, public finance, infrastructure planning and First Nations-led financial institutions.

This discussion asks a fundamental question: what needs to change so First Nations people become architects of Australia's new clean energy economy, rather than simply participants within it?