Indigenous Cultural Heritage Schemes in Victoria, Queensland and ...

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The legislation outlines several matters in which appeals or objections to decisions made under the Act are to be heard in the Land Court. 134 These include: • the chief executive’s decision not to record or not record the results of a cultural heritage study on the Register • the chief executive’s decision to approve or not approve a CHMP • where parties cannot agree about a CHMP (mediation is also an option). In such matters the Land Court does not decide on such disputes, but makes recommendations to the Minister, who makes the final decision. 135 Storage and ownership of information and material culture According to section 5 of the Act, the legislation’s defining principles include ‘respect for Aboriginal knowledge, culture and traditional practices’ and an acknowledgment that ‘Aboriginal people should be recognised as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage.’ 136 In addition: (d) activities involved in recognition, protection and conservation of Aboriginal cultural heritage are important because they allow Aboriginal people to reaffirm their obligations to ‘law and country.’ 137 Whereas the Cultural Record Act of 1986 deemed all cultural heritage objects to be owned by the State, the current Act states that some significant categories of Aboriginal cultural heritage must remain in, be vested in, or be returned to, the ownership of the appropriate Aboriginal custodians. Section 14(3) states that: ...as far as practicable, Aboriginal cultural heritage should be owned and protected by Aboriginal people with traditional or familial links to the cultural heritage if it is comprised of any of the following— (a) Aboriginal human remains; (b) secret or sacred objects; (c) Aboriginal cultural heritage lawfully taken away from an area. These provisions facilitate the ownership and return of such remains or objects to Aboriginal people with ‘traditional or familial links’ to heritage in the above 134 http://www.landcourt.qld.gov.au/ 135 e.g. ACH Act, ss. 118-120. 136 ibid., ss. 5(a), 5(b). 137 ibid., s. 5(d). 43
categories, even if they are in the ownership of the State (most specifically, the Queensland Museum). However, essentially all other Aboriginal cultural heritage belongs to the State. According to section 20: (1) The following Aboriginal cultural heritage is not in the ownership of the State— (a) human remains and secret or sacred objects owned by Aboriginal people under division 2 or 3; (b) Aboriginal cultural heritage passing into the ownership of an Aboriginal party under this Act; (c) Aboriginal cultural heritage owned by a person whose ownership is confirmed under a provision of this Act; (d) Aboriginal cultural heritage owned by a person to whom ownership is lawfully transferred. (2) Otherwise, the State owns Aboriginal cultural heritage. (3) Subsection (2) applies to an object or evidence that is Aboriginal cultural heritage even if the object or evidence— (a) forms, or has previously formed, part of land; or (b) is located, or has previously been located, in, on or under land. While the Act does not provide specifically for Aboriginal people to gain physical access to their cultural heritage it does note that no part of the legislation should be interpreted in a way that would prejudice: (b) a person’s enjoyment or use of, or free access to, Aboriginal cultural heritage, if— (i) the person usually lives according to Aboriginal tradition as it relates to a particular group of Aboriginal people; and (ii) the access, enjoyment or use is sanctioned by the Aboriginal tradition; or (c) native title rights and interests. 138 The Act also formally establishes both the Aboriginal cultural heritage database and the Aboriginal cultural heritage register. While both are effectively devices for the storage of information about cultural heritage in the state, the information can be used for planning and research and is subject to some access restrictions. Aboriginal cultural heritage database Section 39 of the Act defines the purpose of the database thus: (1) The purpose of establishing the database is to assemble, in a central and accessible location, information about Aboriginal cultural heritage. 138 ibid., s. 13. 44
Page 1: Indigenous Cultural Heritage Scheme
Page 4 and 5: © Commonwealth of Australia 2009 T
Page 6 and 7: Background to this Report The Gover
Page 8 and 9: Heritage Protection in Australia: a
Page 10 and 11: However, over several revisions the
Page 12 and 13: traditional owner groups and consid
Page 14 and 15: declare temporary or permanent prot
Page 16 and 17: Australians’ ‘aspirations for g
Page 18 and 19: Indigenous Heritage Protection in V
Page 20 and 21: (e) to promote public awareness and
Page 22 and 23: may also request further informatio
Page 24 and 25: The Regulations also provide a pres
Page 26 and 27: may also be delegated to the Secret
Page 28 and 29: Disputes regarding the production o
Page 30 and 31: • Registered Aboriginal parties o
Page 32 and 33: interest and expertise in the herit
Page 34 and 35: (2) A registered native title claim
Page 36 and 37: Categorising complex heritage via s
Page 38 and 39: Indigenous Heritage Protection in Q
Page 40 and 41: (b) recognising Aboriginal ownershi
Page 42 and 43: Categories 1‐4 require little to
Page 44 and 45: • Some hill and mound formations
Page 46 and 47: Importantly, for proponents, having
Page 50 and 51: (2) The database is intended to be
Page 52 and 53: likely to excavate, relocate, remov
Page 54 and 55: Aboriginal cultural heritage bodies
Page 56 and 57: observers to build a measured opini
Page 58 and 59: under section 23.’ 169 There is a
Page 60 and 61: Indigenous Heritage Protection in t
Page 62 and 63: The Sacred Sites Act refers the rea
Page 64 and 65: A prescribed archaeological place o
Page 66 and 67: • The need for the Authority to u
Page 68 and 69: and • Deciding on whether or not
Page 70 and 71: customs and beliefs as applied in r
Page 72 and 73: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) the
Page 74 and 75: an agreement between custodian and
Page 76 and 77: The land registration regimes admin
Page 78: Levitus, R. 2007, ‘Laws and strat

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