Four new members have been appointed to the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Council, including former Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Yamatji and Wongi Elder, Ken Wyatt.
Mr Wyatt (pictured), and Irene Stainton will co-chair the Council. Other members appointed include business manager, Jonathon Griffin; Local Government executive, Karen Oborn and geologist, Denzyl Moncreiff. Mark Bin Bakar has also been reappointed as a Council member.
The changes are part of a modernisation of the system which protects and manages Aboriginal cultural heritage in Western Australia.
The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 empowers Aboriginal people to make agreements about matters affecting their cultural heritage.
For more than 50 years it has been illegal to undertake activities that may harm Aboriginal cultural heritage without approval. That legal framework has now been modernised to align with Native Title laws.
An implementation group, chaired by the Director General of the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, will be established for an initial six months to work collaboratively to address any issues that may arise in the initial stages of implementing the changes.
Members of the group will include representatives from key industries such as mining, property, farming and agriculture, as well as Local Government, Aboriginal corporations and the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Council.
The group’s work will also feed into the 12-month review the State Government has agreed to conduct as part of the implementation process.
As the State’s peak strategic body on Aboriginal cultural heritage matters, the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Council provides advice to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, designates local Aboriginal cultural heritage services and approves permits and management plans.
The Council also has a role in promoting public awareness and appreciation of Aboriginal cultural heritage and the participation of Aboriginal people in decision-making about how their cultural heritage is managed and protected.
