Question concerns the selection and role of 'Future Act' officers in mining tenement investigations, specifically regarding Indigenous community involvement and protection of significant sites. The response clarifies that relevant Aboriginal people will be involved in site examinations and heritage surveys.

AnsweredQoN 2522Legislative Assembly
Asked
2 March 2004
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

(b) when investigating mining tenements, will the ‘Future Act’ officers be members of the local indigenous community with intimate knowledge of the significant sites, or will they just be from a pool from the lands council; (c) if the ‘Future Act’ officers are only from the land council, how can local indigenous communities have confidence that their significant sites will even be known, let alone protected; and (d) if the ‘Future Act’ officers are only from the land council and not the local indigenous community, how can mining companies be confident that they will not face further delays due to legal action from local indigenous communities, seeking to protect their own significant sites?
(c) if the ‘Future Act’ officers are only from the land council, how can local indigenous communities have confidence that their significant sites will even be known, let alone protected; and (d) if the ‘Future Act’ officers are only from the land council and not the local indigenous community, how can mining companies be confident that they will not face further delays due to legal action from local indigenous communities, seeking to protect their own significant sites?
(d) if the ‘Future Act’ officers are only from the land council and not the local indigenous community, how can mining companies be confident that they will not face further delays due to legal action from local indigenous communities, seeking to protect their own significant sites?
(b) and (c) On site examination of mining tenements for Aboriginal sites of significance will be carried out by Aboriginal people from the relevant community/native title claim. Future Act Officers will be involved in arranging heritage surveys by establishing contact between the mining tenement holder and the relevant Aboriginal people when a survey is required to be carried out. (d) Mining companies can be confident that heritage surveys are undertaken with the relevant Aboriginal people because they will be involved in the process.
(d) Mining companies can be confident that heritage surveys are undertaken with the relevant Aboriginal people because they will be involved in the process.

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
6 May 2004
Response time
65 days
(a) Funding by the Office of Native Title for Future Act Officers is provided to the Department of Industry and Resources (DoIR) and each Native Title Representative Body (NTRB). Vacancies for Future Act Officers for DoIR are advertised in accordance with the published Public Sector Recruitment and Selection Standards, which are available from the Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner. It is not known what process NTRB’s undertake in selecting these officers.
(b) and (c) On site examination of mining tenements for Aboriginal sites of significance will be carried out by Aboriginal people from the relevant community/native title claim. Future Act Officers will be involved in arranging heritage surveys by establishing contact between the mining tenement holder and the relevant Aboriginal people when a survey is required to be carried out.
(d) Mining companies can be confident that heritage surveys are undertaken with the relevant Aboriginal people because they will be involved in the process.

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