With possible changes to federal and local government, it is
difficult to predict what changes the industry will actually see
over the next year and what the future holds for the Aboriginal
heritage approvals process. There is also concern among the
industry regarding the affect the proposed minerals resource
rent tax and the newly introduced carbon tax will have on the
industry as a whole. This has been pertinently demonstrated
recently with the resource sector’s future planning in
Western Australia.
To ensure the industry continues to take steps forward
in regards to the Aboriginal heritage approvals process, it is
essential for all parties to be mindful that as time goes on, the
heritage and culture of the Aboriginal people is diminishing.
This is why it is essential to recognise the urgency of ‘good faith’
heritage negotiations to ensure the preservation of Aboriginal
heritage and the ethical development of resource projects.
Whilst neither side is going to wholeheartedly agree on
impacts to Aboriginal heritage in the face of industrial progress,
it is important to acknowledge that every effort has been made to
protect as much heritage as possible while still allowing for the
development of resource projects. Greater transparency between
all parties involved will encourage projects to remain and be
progressed in Western Australia, rather than going offshore to
other countries that have little in the way of heritage approvals
to undertake.
The
Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972
is currently under review
within Western Australia and there is resounding hope the
changes that will ensue will enable timelier decisions to be made
regarding heritage approvals without diluting the research and
quality of the applications submitted. In order for the approvals
that are currently in the system to be dealt with in an efficient
and timely manner, it is necessary to allocate additional
funding not only to the Department of Indigenous Affairs, in
order to increase the number of employees dealing specifically
with Section 18 applications, but more importantly to finance
positions within the Native Title Representative Bodies (NTRB)
dedicated to facilitating meetings to discuss approvals directly
with proponents.
Finding the balance between preserving depleting Aboriginal heritage
and encouraging resource projects within WA is a tough task
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