Dawn Casey has wide-ranging experience in the management of indigenous and cultural heritage policy issues. As a member of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, she was responsible for the establishment of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.

She has provided policy advice on issues associated with Australia's national cultural institutions and served as Chair of the Heritage Collections Committee, the body with responsibility for implementing specific programs to address issues of collection management, preservation and conservation, research and documentation, and access.

Ms Casey has received three Commonwealth Public Service Australia Day Medals.

Title: The digital environment: users and uses

Abstract: The global telecommunications revolution has combined with the digital revolution to create radical new possibilities for the authorship, publication and distribution of creative works held by cultural institutions. This poses new challenges for institutions, such as museums, in relation to intellectual property ownership of digital materials, especially Indigenous cultural property. The aim of this paper is to explore some of the issues confronting museums in balancing their various responsibilities of both caring for and protecting their collections and interpreting and communicating knowledge and information about these collections as widely as possible. The digital environment has also heightened concerns about the rights of both consumers and creators who perceive the digital media as potentially more likely to violate their rights. Can a balance be achieved creator and consumer rights in this new environment?