Progress Report 2007-2008 - Department of Environment and ...

2006
Ongoing
Due date Region FA section Milestone Progress
31
December
Sthn 5.1.1
UNE,
LNE,
Eden
2.8
Ongoing Sthn 2.8
2006
31
December
Sthn 5.1.4.3
Assessment of all parks to determine if any could be
added to Schedule 14 of the National Parks and
Wildlife Act 1974.
NPWS must continue to develop its information
management system for Indigenous heritage in
consultation with Aboriginal communities and other
stakeholders (information submitted to the Aboriginal
Sites Register).
Preparation of an information management system for
Aboriginal heritage, including maintenance of
Aboriginal Sites Register.
Creation of a zone to protect Aboriginal cultural
heritage, with adequate measures (including buffers) to
protect against adverse impacts by forest activities, soil
erosion and visitation to sensitive cultural areas.
Deferred
Part 4A (‘Aboriginal Land’) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 provides for the return of DECC lands to Aboriginal ownership.
These lands are then leased back to the Government for joint management by the Aboriginal owners and DECC as park. Parks that
can be returned to Aboriginal ownership are listed in Schedule 14 of the Act. Seven areas of land are already listed and under the
provisions of the Act, further parks can be nominated for addition to the schedule. Further background to lease-back agreements is
available through the DECC website at:
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/comanagement/Lease-backAgreement.htm.
There has been no widespread preliminary assessment of parks to date to assess whether they could be added to Schedule 14.
However, DECC continues to proceed with the return to Aboriginal ownership of those reserves already listed on Schedule 14 and to
respond to further nominations as they occur. Of those parks in FA regions already listed on Schedule 14, lease negotiations for the
return of Biamanga (in the Eden region) and Gulaga (in the Southern region) National Parks to their Aboriginal owners have been
completed and the leases signed in May 2006.
Completed
DECC began to use a new Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS) in June 2001 after two rounds of statewide
consultation in December 2000 and June 2001. Newly discovered Aboriginal sites/artefacts are regularly registered on AHIMS.
Completed
DECC started using a new Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System in June 2001 after two rounds of statewide
consultation in December 2000 and June 2001. Forests NSW contribute to the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System.
Creation of a zone – Implemented
Forest NSW protects Aboriginal cultural heritage in accordance with legislative requirements, ESFM plans, and triggers within Forests
NSW GIS system (based on records obtained from the AHIMS database and Forests NSW site database) and ‘Operational Guidelines
for Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management’ (Forests NSW 2006b). Areas of indigenous cultural heritage value are identified as
Special Value areas within any of the Forest Management Zones. This is detailed in the operational circular 99/10, Managing our
forests sustainably: Forest Management Zoning in NSW State Forests published in 2000.
Scattered artefacts are afforded a 10 m buffer. Protection of others, such as a grinding stone site, is determined by the Local
Aboriginal Land Council or local elders. In all cases these are in areas excluded from harvesting and roading and therefore protected.
Additionally, the National Park and Wildlife Act 1974, provides protection for Aboriginal objects.
NSW FOREST AGREEMENTS AND INTEGRATED FORESTRY OPERATIONS APPROVALS 113