❓ Hon Neil Thomson questions the government's communication strategy regarding the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021, particularly for urban landowners. The Minister defends the government's extensive communication efforts and highlights exemptions for smaller lots.
AnsweredQoN 697Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
ABORIGINAL CULTURAL
HERITAGE ACT
697. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the Leader of the House representing the
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs:
I refer to the
rollout and information provided to urban landowners on the Aboriginal Cultural
Heritage Act.
(1) Why has the
government not rolled out a TV, radio and social media campaign to alert
landowners of their responsibilities when they reside in urban areas?
(2) Why has the
government not created a metropolitan landowner fact sheet so confusion can be
alleviated?
(3) Why are there
still different versions, including poorly labelled consultation drafts, of the
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage code available on government websites when a Google
search is undertaken, which can create more confusion?
HERITAGE ACT
697. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the Leader of the House representing the
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs:
I refer to the
rollout and information provided to urban landowners on the Aboriginal Cultural
Heritage Act.
(1) Why has the
government not rolled out a TV, radio and social media campaign to alert
landowners of their responsibilities when they reside in urban areas?
(2) Why has the
government not created a metropolitan landowner fact sheet so confusion can be
alleviated?
(3) Why are there
still different versions, including poorly labelled consultation drafts, of the
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage code available on government websites when a Google
search is undertaken, which can create more confusion?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The
state government has undertaken an extensive communication and education
campaign to ensure that all landholders across the state are aware of the new
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021. The act has been five years in the
making. There have been hundreds of workshops and meetings with thousands of participants and hundreds of submissions. The
Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage is using social media, has
prepared multiple fact sheets and has online videos that address how the new
act will operate. The department has an online email database of more than 1 600
stakeholders that it has also been using to
communicate. I am confident that there is sufficient and clearly available information
for all landowners to be able to understand the implications of the act
on their personal circumstances. I would also note that, unlike the current Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972, people who own
lots smaller than 1 100 square metres , which comprise the vast bulk of
lots in the metropolitan area, are exempt from the requirements of the new act.
(3) For current
searches for ''Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act WA'' the first
result will take people to the fact sheets and guidelines.
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The
state government has undertaken an extensive communication and education
campaign to ensure that all landholders across the state are aware of the new
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021. The act has been five years in the
making. There have been hundreds of workshops and meetings with thousands of participants and hundreds of submissions. The
Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage is using social media, has
prepared multiple fact sheets and has online videos that address how the new
act will operate. The department has an online email database of more than 1 600
stakeholders that it has also been using to
communicate. I am confident that there is sufficient and clearly available information
for all landowners to be able to understand the implications of the act
on their personal circumstances. I would also note that, unlike the current Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972, people who own
lots smaller than 1 100 square metres , which comprise the vast bulk of
lots in the metropolitan area, are exempt from the requirements of the new act.
(3) For current
searches for ''Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act WA'' the first
result will take people to the fact sheets and guidelines.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.