Canberra, Nov 29, : A new agreement will see Indigenous groups from Australia shape the country’s cultural heritage preservation systems. Monday’s announcement by the government was a partnership with First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance.This alliance will give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people direct participation in reforming heritage laws.
Xinhua reported that Australia’s Indigenous culture heritage protection system has been under intense scrutiny since Rio Tinto, a mining giant, destroyed 46,000-year-old rock shelters at Juukan gorge in Western Australia last year.
A parliamentary inquiry held in October found that federal and state legislation was inadequate.It called for a new legislative framework to better safeguard culturally significant sites.
Ken Wyatt, Minister for Indigenous Australians, stated Monday that Indigenous people’s views must be considered when revising protection laws.
He stated that “Indigenous Australians should be able to determine the heritage that is most important to them, have access to applicable laws and policies to protect that heritage, and choose how they generate revenue from their land.”
“As we modernize Indigenous protection, it is fundamentally essential that we work in partnership with Indigenous Australians.We also need to recognize the rights of traditional owners to manage land and heritage as they see fit.”
The alliance will include more than 30 Indigenous groups across the country, and it will consult with many other groups.
Kado Muir will chair the meeting.
He is the chairperson of the National Native Title Council and has welcomed the chance to design the reforms.
He stated that it was important that cultural heritage sites are protected and recognized on the basis of their intrinsic cultural heritage values and not as a part of land access or development approvals.
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