Hearings begin in Torres Strait Islands’s climate suit versus Australia

Australian federal court officials on Monday began hearings on a lawsuit filed by a group of Torres Strait Islanders alleging the Australian government
had failed to protect them from climate change, which threatens to destroy their homes.
The case, the first climate class action brought by Australia’s First Nations people, was filed in 2021 on behalf of the remote islands of Boigu and Saibai in the Torres Strait off Australia’s north coast.
The initial hearings will happen in the islands until June 19, with the court expected to hear from the islanders about the threats from rising sea to their culture, life and homes.
The Torres Strait Islands face the threat of floods and salt ruining their soil as global warming leads to more storms and rising sea levels.