Hon Robin Chapple questions the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs regarding the assessment of Lake Yindarlgooda as 'Stored Date/Not a Site' by the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee, focusing on anthropological expertise and procedural fairness.

AnsweredQoN 1191Legislative Council
Asked
20 October 2015
Portfolio
Aboriginal Affairs

QuestionView source ↗

ABORIGINAL
CULTURAL MATERIAL COMMITTEE — LAKE YINDARLGOODA SITE
1191. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs:
I refer to the
assessment of Lake Yindarlgooda, ID 30602, as ''Stored Date/Not a Site''
by the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee on 11 September 2013.
(1) Why was no anthropologist present at
this meeting, given that ID 30602 is a mythological dreaming site and hence
anthropologically very significant?
(2) Was external expert anthropological
advice sought in relation to the assessment of ID 30602?
(3) If yes to (2),
will the minister table this advice?
(4) If no to (3),
why not?
(5) If no to (1) to (4), and given the site's
informant was unaware that ID 30602 had been deregistered, can the minister
elaborate on his understanding of procedural fairness with regard to this site?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the
honourable member for some notice of this question.
(1) The position of specialist
anthropologist on the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee was vacant. The
Department of Aboriginal Affairs has undertaken several extensive, nationwide
recruitment processes in an effort to engage a specialist anthropologist. The
search for a specialist anthropologist is ongoing. The Department of Aboriginal
Affairs officers with anthropological and archaeological expertise currently
provide written advice to the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee and have
done so since the department assumed administration of the Aboriginal Heritage
Act 1972 in 1994.
(2) The expert anthropological information
was compiled by Dr Bill Kruse, Mr Bradley Jennings on behalf of the Goldfields
Land and Sea Council, and Mr Daniel de Gand for Crest Minerals Pty Ltd. This
information was considered by the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee in
making its assessment.
(3) No.
(4) The information relating to DAA 30602 is
restricted due to gender restricted and culturally sensitive material.
(5) The initial assessment of DAA 30602 was
provided on 21 November 2012 to the Goldfields Land and Sea Council, which
represents the site informants. Feedback from this process was incorporated
into the final assessment, which was presented to the Aboriginal Cultural
Material Committee. It is longstanding practice that the Department of
Aboriginal Affairs updates the Aboriginal heritage inquiry system on the
Department of Aboriginal Affairs website so stakeholders and the general public
are aware of all changes to the status of heritage places.

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