❓ A parliamentary question investigates potential Aboriginal heritage site disturbance by Darlex Pty Ltd, focusing on communication with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs (DAA) and discrepancies in site registration. The Minister's response reveals a system error and clarifies site statuses and distances.
AnsweredQoN 3273Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to a letter, dated 27 February 2015, from the Head of Heritage at the Department of Aboriginal Affairs (DAA), to Kalgoorlie Aboriginal man, Geoffrey Stokes, which was in relation to an incident near Mount Margaret in October 2014, and I ask: (a) did the company Darlex Pty Ltd seek advice from the DAA in relation to possible Aboriginal site issues as a result of the company's proposed 2014 ground disturbing activities within lease P 39/5295; (b) if yes to (a), did the DAA provide any advice to the company; (c) if no to (a), why not; (d) if yes to (b), will the Minister table the DAA's advice to the company in relation to these matters; (e) if no to (d), why not; (f) is it correct, as reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner on 13 December 2014, that site 18933, 'Cave Painting', had been excluded from the DAA site register in September 2014, despite being assessed as a site by the Aboriginal Culture and Materials Committee in 2002; (g) if yes to (f), will the Minister state why this site was not added to the DAA register for twelve years; (h) if not to (g), why not; (i) is it correct, as reported by the Kalgoorlie Miner, that a 'systems error' was to blame; (j) can the Minister elaborate on what the DAA spokesperson meant by a 'systems error'; (k) will the Minister state the distance between site 18933 and the area in which Darlex ground disturbing activity took place; (l) will the Minister state the distance between site 18932, 'Bulba', and the area in which Darlex conducted ground disturbing activity; (m) what is the current status of site 18932; (n) has the current status of this site been altered in the last 12 months; and (o) if yes to (n), how has the status changed, on what date, and on what grounds?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
9 September 2015
Responded by
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Response time
85 days
a. No.
b. Not applicable.
c. This question needs to be directed to Darlex Pty Ltd.
d. Not applicable.
e. Not applicable.
f. Yes.
g. The site was not added due to an error in the system which was identified when looking into this matter.
h. Not applicable.
i. Yes.
j. A coding error resulted in the system showing the 1997 'insufficient information' status of the site as the latest information, rather than the 2002 Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee resolution.
k. Approximately 800 metres, however this is measured on a map and does not take into account the several steep ridges between Darlex works and Site 18933.
l. The boundary of Lodged Place 18932 is about 340 metres from the Darlex works. This does not take into account the several steep ridges between the Darlex works and Lodged Place 18932.
m. On the Department of Aboriginal Affairs Aboriginal Heritage Inquiry System, the category Other Heritage Places is comprised of two subset categories: 'Lodged' places and 'Stored Data / Not a Site' places.
A 'Lodged' place is where information has been received by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in relation to places that may meet section 5 of the
Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972
, but an assessment has not been completed by the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee.
A 'Stored Data / Not a Site' place is a place that has been assessed by the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee and has been determined as not meeting section 5 of the
Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972
.
Place ID 18932 is a 'Lodged' place.
n. No.
o. Not applicable.
b. Not applicable.
c. This question needs to be directed to Darlex Pty Ltd.
d. Not applicable.
e. Not applicable.
f. Yes.
g. The site was not added due to an error in the system which was identified when looking into this matter.
h. Not applicable.
i. Yes.
j. A coding error resulted in the system showing the 1997 'insufficient information' status of the site as the latest information, rather than the 2002 Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee resolution.
k. Approximately 800 metres, however this is measured on a map and does not take into account the several steep ridges between Darlex works and Site 18933.
l. The boundary of Lodged Place 18932 is about 340 metres from the Darlex works. This does not take into account the several steep ridges between the Darlex works and Lodged Place 18932.
m. On the Department of Aboriginal Affairs Aboriginal Heritage Inquiry System, the category Other Heritage Places is comprised of two subset categories: 'Lodged' places and 'Stored Data / Not a Site' places.
A 'Lodged' place is where information has been received by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in relation to places that may meet section 5 of the
Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972
, but an assessment has not been completed by the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee.
A 'Stored Data / Not a Site' place is a place that has been assessed by the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee and has been determined as not meeting section 5 of the
Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972
.
Place ID 18932 is a 'Lodged' place.
n. No.
o. Not applicable.
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