❓ Ms. Davies questions the accuracy of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 map viewer. The Minister acknowledges potential inaccuracies, commits to investigating, and defends the consultation process, accusing the opposition of hostility.
AnsweredQoN 367Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ABORIGINAL CULTURAL HERITAGE ACT — MAP VIEWER
367. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs:
I refer to the Aboriginal Cultural
Heritage Act 2021 and the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage's
map viewer, which will be used to help
landowners ascertain whether they have Aboriginal cultural heritage on their
land.
(1) What work is
the government doing to update this map to ensure that it is accurate?
(2) Can the
minister confirm that the map contains inaccurate coordinates and sites
identifying Aboriginal cultural heritage sites?
(3) Is there or
will the minister include a disclaimer on the website and map to advise that
the location and coordinates of Aboriginal cultural heritage sites are not
accurate or definitive on the map viewer?
367. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs:
I refer to the Aboriginal Cultural
Heritage Act 2021 and the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage's
map viewer, which will be used to help
landowners ascertain whether they have Aboriginal cultural heritage on their
land.
(1) What work is
the government doing to update this map to ensure that it is accurate?
(2) Can the
minister confirm that the map contains inaccurate coordinates and sites
identifying Aboriginal cultural heritage sites?
(3) Is there or
will the minister include a disclaimer on the website and map to advise that
the location and coordinates of Aboriginal cultural heritage sites are not
accurate or definitive on the map viewer?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) The
member referred to the information on the department's website. I would
advise everyone to start off by going through the directory, which has
substantial information on the identification of Aboriginal cultural heritage
sites in Western Australia. As I have mentioned numerous times, and even on the
radio this morning, of course it is not complete, but it has substantial
mapping of cultural heritage sites in Western Australia.
With regard to the member's
claim of inaccurate information, I will take that up with the department, but
the department is incredibly careful about what it puts on the website.
Let
us just understand what is happening here. A landowner can go to the directory
and have a look on the directory to
see the land area that they want to utilise to see whether it has Aboriginal
cultural heritage. If it does not and the landowner is doing a low-level
activity, they go and do a physical inspection themselves. If they are
satisfied, that is due diligence. Obviously, there may be an Aboriginal person
in the vicinity whom the landowner knows about. The whole idea is to encourage
consultation with Aboriginal people and to reach agreement with Aboriginal
people. That is what this act is about. That is what the opposition seems to be
hostile about. I do not understand that. The landowner can then ask them. Once
that is done, they can continue with the activity. If there is no Aboriginal
cultural heritage and the landowner has done the due diligence, they can just
continue.
If a landowner is doing a tier 3
activity, which involves substantial disturbance to the land that they are
utilising, that is when they may need to do a survey. They may need to do a survey
if it is a tier 3. They go to the directory to do the initial survey. If it is
a tier 3, they may need to do an additional survey. Many of those surveys have
already been done. They can look at what has already been done. If it is an
area that has not been surveyed, they may then instigate a survey. Eventually,
the whole state will be surveyed.
Warren Pearce, the CEO of the
Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, said yesterday on ABC's Country Hour —opposition
members want to quote certain radio interviews, but not others—that he
strongly advocated for the system to start on 1 July. He said we could not
delay any further. He also said that the local Aboriginal cultural heritage
services would not come on board until the system is operating. That is what he
said. He also said it is interesting that the Pastoralists and Graziers
Association members are now protesting; where have they been? The Western Australian
Farmers Federation was invited to participate in the activities category
working group. Its members came to the first meeting but not the others. They
were given sufficient opportunity to contribute to the design of the
regulations and they chose not to. Now, at the eleventh hour, they have decided
to protest—encouraged and cheered on by opposition members, who when we
talk about Aboriginal issues and bring Aboriginal people on board, always just
do not like it.
member referred to the information on the department's website. I would
advise everyone to start off by going through the directory, which has
substantial information on the identification of Aboriginal cultural heritage
sites in Western Australia. As I have mentioned numerous times, and even on the
radio this morning, of course it is not complete, but it has substantial
mapping of cultural heritage sites in Western Australia.
With regard to the member's
claim of inaccurate information, I will take that up with the department, but
the department is incredibly careful about what it puts on the website.
Let
us just understand what is happening here. A landowner can go to the directory
and have a look on the directory to
see the land area that they want to utilise to see whether it has Aboriginal
cultural heritage. If it does not and the landowner is doing a low-level
activity, they go and do a physical inspection themselves. If they are
satisfied, that is due diligence. Obviously, there may be an Aboriginal person
in the vicinity whom the landowner knows about. The whole idea is to encourage
consultation with Aboriginal people and to reach agreement with Aboriginal
people. That is what this act is about. That is what the opposition seems to be
hostile about. I do not understand that. The landowner can then ask them. Once
that is done, they can continue with the activity. If there is no Aboriginal
cultural heritage and the landowner has done the due diligence, they can just
continue.
If a landowner is doing a tier 3
activity, which involves substantial disturbance to the land that they are
utilising, that is when they may need to do a survey. They may need to do a survey
if it is a tier 3. They go to the directory to do the initial survey. If it is
a tier 3, they may need to do an additional survey. Many of those surveys have
already been done. They can look at what has already been done. If it is an
area that has not been surveyed, they may then instigate a survey. Eventually,
the whole state will be surveyed.
Warren Pearce, the CEO of the
Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, said yesterday on ABC's Country Hour —opposition
members want to quote certain radio interviews, but not others—that he
strongly advocated for the system to start on 1 July. He said we could not
delay any further. He also said that the local Aboriginal cultural heritage
services would not come on board until the system is operating. That is what he
said. He also said it is interesting that the Pastoralists and Graziers
Association members are now protesting; where have they been? The Western Australian
Farmers Federation was invited to participate in the activities category
working group. Its members came to the first meeting but not the others. They
were given sufficient opportunity to contribute to the design of the
regulations and they chose not to. Now, at the eleventh hour, they have decided
to protest—encouraged and cheered on by opposition members, who when we
talk about Aboriginal issues and bring Aboriginal people on board, always just
do not like it.
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