All parties involved in Aboriginal heritage approvals
currently depend on goodwill and sound relationships to
facilitate meetings and deadlines, and although this method is
very important it does not necessitate the involvement of the
NTRBs in approvals unless individual agreements are in place
with proponents.
These industry changes would allow companies to
complete negotiations more quickly and have a greater sense
of certainty around the process and subsequent ‘high-level’
government decisions that are made regarding the heritage
approvals process.
The most important thing for resource companies that are
planning to develop projects to remember during this time of
change is to plan and budget accordingly. Companies will save
both time and money if they understand the necessity to set aside
enough time and devise an accurate budget for undertaking
efficient Aboriginal heritage approvals. The volume of resource
projects and entities requiring Aboriginal heritage approvals
continues to increase annually at an astonishing rate.
Many companies believe that a good budget alone will get
their heritage approvals over the line but due to the finite
number of both Aboriginal consultants, and qualified and
experienced heritage consultants, a company’s project may be
delayed while they wait for the most appropriate and qualified
people to become available. Delays of this kind often occur as a
result of inadequate planning, a lack of contacts and incorrect
budgeting and timeframes.
The top five things mining companies should know about
getting Aboriginal heritage approval for resource projects are:
1.
Start the approvals process at prefeasibility phase
rather than at operational phase to save time and
money in the long run.
2.
Pay special consideration to the relationships your
company builds with Aboriginal traditional owners, as
these relationships carry on for the life of the project
and beyond.
3.
Be mindful that government decisions may not align
with company timelines or the original scope of work.
It is imperative that all proponents keep informed
with different stages of the approval process and
any amendments made to the process that could
affect them.
4.
When developing your resource project’s budget,
ensure you develop a comprehensive heritage budget
that takes into consideration all the costs associated
with Aboriginal heritage approvals.
5.
Until a company knows the extent of the connection
between an area of land and its traditional owners,
they are unable to make informed decisions regarding
the work they can carry out. As a result, timeframes,
budgets and plans made prior to the completion of
heritage surveys may become redundant or require
amendment. Therefore, heritage surveys, and a proper
analysis of the land and directly associated heritage and
culture, should be conducted as early as possible into
the development of a project.
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The most important
thing for resource
companies that are
planning to develop
projects to remember
during this time of
change is to plan and
budget accordingly...
The volume of
resource projects
and entities requiring
Aboriginal heritage
approvals continues
to increase annually
at an astonishing rate.