Getting there: the resurrection of Aboriginal cultural heritage legislation

All Australians need to work with Aboriginal communities to celebrate, protect and manage Aboriginal cultural heritage in NSW. Whilst at TLALC I recall working with major housing developers to ensure the protection of the Tharawal cultural heritage.

The beauty of Fred Nile's Bill is that it is aimed at preventing the destruction of Aboriginal heritage by awarding true custodianship of sites, objects and remains to a newly created state agency; the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Council (ACH). The ACH itself designates local services for specific sites, objects and remains of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage and any permits to move, harm or destroy said items must be approved by the ACH in consultation with the local service and Aboriginal stakeholders.

One of the key proposed reforms by Fred Nile is that an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Council (ACH) is to be established that has the ultimate say on whether or not site, object or remains of Aboriginal heritage may be altered, damaged, or destroyed. The ACH must be comprised of Aboriginal persons of relevant qualifications and experience with an equal gender ratio. The ACH will create local services to manage specification sites, objects and remains.

Further, the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill 2022 seeks to award custodianship of all sites, objects and remains of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage to an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Council. The future of Aboriginal Heritage must be decided upon by First Nations peoples themselves rather than a political class in which they have little to no representation.

Time for an Aboriginal member of parliament in NSW come 2023. Semper ad Meliora.