KLC UNIMPRESSED WITH NEW HERITAGE LEGISLATION
A co design workshop in Kalgoorlie yesterday
Three years after illegal clearing destroyed ancestral burial sites at Yakka Munga, Traditional Owners and the Kimberley Land Council say the whole affair shows the weakness of Aboriginal Heritage protection laws.
KLC chief executive Tyrone Garstone said the Government only took action when Traditional owners protested.
“It’s one thing to put down the legislation and just expect people to comply,” he said. “They actually need to be able to enforce and monitor what they are actually doing on country. It shouldn’t be up to Traditional Owners coming along and having to highlight these issues. And when we do highlight these issues the State Government tends to side with the commercial interest and don’t support Traditional Owners around saying ‘there have been clear breaches yet for some reason there was no penalties handed down.”
Mr Garstone said he was also skeptical about the increased penalties provided in the new Aboriginal Heritage legislation that was yet to come into force.
“We’re saying what’s the point in increasing penalties when you aren’t willing to prosecute anybody?” he said.
The Kimberley Land Council was not present in last month’s “Co Design” workshop to help draft new heritage protection regulations in Perth.
It was attended by WA’s other three land councils, and the National Native Title Council.
WA Aborignal Affairs minister Tony Buti addresses a co-design workshop at the Goldfields Art Centre, Kalgoorlie, yesterday.
WA Indigenous Affairs minister Tony Buti urges Aboriginal people wanting a say in the new WA Aboriginal Heritage regulations to go to one of the “Co Design” workshops in regional WA.
“The new Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act empowers Aboriginal people to speak for their heritage and have a proper say in how their cultural heritage is protected and managed,” he said. “We are now moving on to the co-design process which is an integral part of the new act to ensure that Aboriginal cultural heritage is better protected.
“The workshops provide an opportunity for people to provide input into the development of the regulations and guiding documents which are critical to the successful implementation of the new Act.”
A WA Government spokesman said the first phase of co-design has started with workshops in key regional centres in April and May and an online consultation process.
Workshops are being held this week in Hedlane, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Bunbury, Armadale and Carnarvon.
A Geraldton workshop will be held on Friday next week.