Three Native Title organisations have been appointed as a Local Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Service – or LACHS – under the State's new Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021.
The first three LACHS were approved by the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Council and will now take on a regulatory role to protect and advise on Aboriginal cultural heritage and help negotiate and facilitate agreement-making on land-use proposals.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Dr Tony Buti outlined the appointment of the LACHS at the opening of the first meeting of the implementation group – a team of key stakeholders who will share information on common and emerging issues, and solutions with the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage in the first six months of operation of the new Act and Regulations.
Dr Buti welcomed the three initial LACHS and acknowledged the important role each organisation will play within their respective native tile areas.
The three LACHS include:
- Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation has a strong history of collaboration with land users, including negotiating and developing heritage management plans, and will be the 'go-to' organisation for Aboriginal cultural heritage matters relating to the land and waters of the Pilbara region that fall within their determination area.
- Karajarri Traditional Lands Association will provide a LACHS role for Karajarri Country, which extends from Eighty Mile Beach to just south of Broome's Roebuck Bay, including some 32,000kms of land and waterways. The Association has extensive experience working with pastoralists, mining companies and Government agencies to protect and manage cultural sites in the area, undertake surveys and negotiate economic opportunities for the Karajarri people.
- The third organisation, which recently commenced Sorry Business following the passing of a significant elder, is also based in the Pilbara region and has extensive experience advising and negotiating on Aboriginal cultural heritage matters.
Each organisation will receive a $200,000 grant to build capacity, recruit or upskill staff – part of a $87 million State budget commitment to Aboriginal cultural heritage.
They will also receive up to $300,000 each year to help meet the anticipated service level requirements from proponents, Traditional Owners, Aboriginal communities and other individuals.
While the LACHS are being established, or where there is no LACHS in place, the new Act guides proponents to engage the relevant native title group, which will be the relevant prescribed body corporate, registered claimants or native title representative bodies such as the relevant land council– just as they have done for many years. The Department is well equipped to help proponents identify the relevant native title group if necessary.
Australian Aboriginal culture is one of the world's oldest continuing cultures dating back at least 60,000 years. Cultural heritage is central to the health and vitality of Aboriginal communities – it provides an essential link to their past, present and future, and it must be appropriately recognised, managed and protected.
Find out more about the new Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 at wa.gov.au/ach-act.
More details on the implementation group and the membership is available on https://www.wa.gov.au/government/document-collections/aboriginal-cultural-heritage-act-2021-implementation-group
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