Question regarding the enforcement of legislation concerning the illegal export of cultural heritage, specifically fossils, from Australia and their retrieval from overseas.

AnsweredQoN 853Legislative Council
Asked
10 April 2003
Portfolio
Arts

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the answer given to question without notice 762 on 1 April 2003 and ask how is the action enforced under Western Australian or commonwealth legislation if the article or object has already been removed from Australian jurisdiction? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. Some countries signatory to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation convention have reciprocal arrangements with Australia for the return of fossil contraband. Under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986, fossils illegally exported from Australia without a permit are subject to forfeit. In one case, Australian federal police seized and returned Australian fossils from Germany and Japan, which were subsequently the subject of a successful prosecution in Australia.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Some countries signatory to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation convention have reciprocal arrangements with Australia for the return of fossil contraband. Under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986, fossils illegally exported from Australia without a permit are subject to forfeit. In one case, Australian federal police seized and returned Australian fossils from Germany and Japan, which were subsequently the subject of a successful prosecution in Australia.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. Some countries signatory to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation convention have reciprocal arrangements with Australia for the return of fossil contraband. Under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986, fossils illegally exported from Australia without a permit are subject to forfeit. In one case, Australian federal police seized and returned Australian fossils from Germany and Japan, which were subsequently the subject of a successful prosecution in Australia.
Some countries signatory to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation convention have reciprocal arrangements with Australia for the return of fossil contraband. Under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986, fossils illegally exported from Australia without a permit are subject to forfeit. In one case, Australian federal police seized and returned Australian fossils from Germany and Japan, which were subsequently the subject of a successful prosecution in Australia.

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