Media Releases
Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage and The Arts
Tuesday, 18 October 2005
Aboriginal Heritage Legislation
A second round of community consultation on the development of new Tasmanian Aboriginal heritage legislation to replace the Aboriginal Relics Act 1975 will begin shortly.
Secretary of the Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage and the Arts, Scott Gadd, said a project team from the Department's Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania will conduct a series of regional forums later this month, commencing with meetings in Burnie, Launceston and Hobart.
"These forums follow the first round of consultations, held with a range of representative organisations in July of this year, which resulted in a high level of guidance to be provided by these stakeholder bodies.
"Representatives from the Aboriginal community, conservation, tourism, recreation, forestry and agriculture, have welcomed the Department's approach to consultation and identified a range of key issues that will be addressed in the development of new legislation," Mr Gadd said.
"The feedback received so far has emphasised the goals of achieving consistency with other planning and development schemes and providing clear and certain processes for people who own or use land in Tasmania.
"By achieving these goals and empowering the Tasmanian Aboriginal community to play an active role in the management of Aboriginal heritage, there will be more effective protection for important Tasmanian cultural assets."
Mr Gadd said the public forums will present the outcomes of first round consultations and provide members of the Tasmanian community with the opportunity to comment further on issues that may affect them.
The project team has already begun discussions with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Land and Sea Council and will conduct a series of meetings with the Tasmanian Aboriginal community later in the year.
A discussion paper on Aboriginal heritage protection will be developed as a result of public consultations and released early in 2006. New legislation is hoped to be introduced into State Parliament next year.
Further information: Tasmanian Government Communications Unit
Phone: (03) 6233 6573
