A national research project has developed a framework to recognise species and ecosystems central to Indigenous Australians' cultural identity, knowledge systems and connection to Country within environmental policy.

Known as "Culturally Significant Entities" (CSE), the study establishes a nationally consistent definition and outlines how Indigenous knowledge and governance can be embedded in land and sea management.

Led by Professor Stephen van Leeuwen and Dr Teagan Shields at Curtin University, and funded through the National Environmental Science Program Resilient Landscape Hub, the research argues current laws do not recognise CSE in the same systematic way as threatened species, and calls for governments to treat Indigenous Australians as rights-holders with authority over Country.

"Despite strong cultural importance, Culturally Significant Entities are not recognised in the same systematic way as threatened species under legislation," Dr Shields, a proud Arabana woman, said.

CSE can include animals, plants or ecological communities with cultural, spiritual, economic or ecological importance, whether rare, common or even non-native.

"The project's findings call for a shift in how governments engage with Indigenous Australians," Dr Shields said. "From viewing them as stakeholders to recognising them as rightsholders with cultural authority and responsibilities for Country."

The framework draws on 18 months of consultation with 300 participants and delivers three key outcomes: a national definition, agreed biocultural management objectives, and recommendations for legal and policy reform.

Some of the case study examples include Jahrany (frogs) by Oliver Costello on Bundjalung Country, which holds cultural and spiritual significance for many groups; Bugam (black bean), also by Oliver Costello on Bundjalung Country, with evidence its seeds were intentionally dispersed along the Nguthungulli Songline; and Wiliyanoo, Toollee (Freshwater mussels), by Michelle Hobbson on Nyikina and Gunggari Country, with shells being used for knives, ceremonial regalia, jewellery, in artwork, and to be traded.

Participants identified immediate priorities including embedding Indigenous knowledge in environmental planning, establishing dedicated Indigenous knowledge and science teams within agencies, mandating Indigenous representation in decision-making, and redesigning monitoring and funding systems to support Indigenous-led biocultural approaches.

Longer-term recommendations include establishing an Indigenous Land and Sea Commissioner with statutory powers, formally recognising CSE within environmental law, and aligning legislation with international agreements such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Nagoya Protocol.