Western Australian Aboriginal Affairs Minister Dr Tony Buti is set to call for expressions of interest for new members to join the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Council.
Up to four new members with knowledge or experience in Aboriginal cultural heritage and skilled in engineering, land management, natural resource management, anthropology or archaeology will be added to the seven-member Council.
The Minister is expected to issue the call for applicants late on Friday.
The new Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 will take effect from 1 July this year, introducing a new framework for the management of Aboriginal cultural heritage.
The new Act, which passed parliament in December 2021, attracted controversy, with many arguing it would not sufficiently protect Aboriginal cultural heritage. It replaces the notoriously one-sided 1972 Act, under which Rio Tinto legally destroyed Juukan Gorge.
The inaugural Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Council was created in September 2022 and formed by a mixture of members experienced in Aboriginal cultural heritage, environment, planning, law and government, and led by male and female Aboriginal Co-Chairs, Irene Stainton and Dr Mark Bin Bakar.
The other Council members are Merle Carter, Kevin Walley, Graham Castledine, Dr Debbie Fletcher, and Belinda Moharich. The Act allows for a total of 11 members on the Council, with majority Aboriginal membership.
To date the Council has overseen the third and final phase of the co-design process involving consultation required by the Act of key statutory guidelines, before submission to the WA government for final consideration.
To be eligible for membership, nominees must have knowledge about Aboriginal cultural heritage or have experience in matters relating to Aboriginal cultural heritage. Consideration of knowledge, skills, experience or qualifications in a range of other disciplines/fields will also be taken into account. Nominations are open until 30 April 2023 and more information and application details are available online.
Mr Buti said the government is well progressed with its plans to implement the new Aboriginal cultural heritage laws.
"The inaugural Council was appointed last year and additional members are now being sought to increase the collective level of expertise within the group," he said.
"We have a strong, experienced and passionate group of people committed to implementing the new laws and empowering Aboriginal people to be at the forefront of decision making about activities that impact on their cultural heritage.
"The Council has an integral role to play as the new laws become operational. We want to maximise the provisions for Council membership to help administer the new system and ensure that the broad range of cultural considerations and land uses is reflected in the collective expertise of members."
The functions of the Council under the new legislative framework are to:
· promote the role of Aboriginal people as the right people to speak for their country and determine activities that may cause harm to their cultural heritage;
· provide advice to the State Government and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs;
· designate local Aboriginal cultural heritage services (LACHS);
· set standards to identify, protect and manage Aboriginal cultural heritage;
· facilitate negotiations between proponents and Aboriginal parties when agreement cannot be reached; and
· promote public awareness, understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal cultural heritage in Western Australia.
