Have your say on Cultural Heritage Acts

Indigenous communities and industry stakeholders are being encouraged to have their say on Queensland’s cultural heritage legislation.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships today launched a review of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Act 2003.

“It has been almost ten years since the last significant review of the Acts and in that time, Queensland has seen social, technological and economic change,” Ms Trad said.

“As we enter a new decade, the Palaszczuk Government is asking Indigenous communities and industry stakeholders if Queensland’s cultural heritage laws are the best they can be.

“We want to make sure the state’s legislation continues to strike the right balance between conserving our rich cultural heritage and growing the economy for the benefit of all Queenslanders.”

Queensland cultural heritage legislation is comprised of two Acts to recognise the distinction between Torres Strait Ailan Kustom and Aboriginal traditional law and customs.

Currently, there are more than 50,000 registered cultural heritage sites in Queensland.

The Deputy Premier said community meetings would be held for Indigenous Queenslanders and the construction, property development, agricultural and resource industries to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the Acts.

“Ownership and the definition of cultural heritage, how it is recorded, the obligations of land users, and compliance with the Acts are among the key themes to be considered by the review,” Ms Trad said.

“Bringing everybody together to have their say will tell us a lot about how the Acts are working and what further reforms may be necessary.”

A consultation paper will be published on theQueensland Government’s Get Involved and the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DATSIP) websites for public comment.       

For more information about the review, including upcoming consultation sessions, go to www.datsip.qld.gov.au/reviewcha

Media contact: 0419 250 894