According to National Party leader David Littleproud, pastoralists and Indigenous Australians are being “divided” by new rules in Western Australia pertaining to the conservation of cultural heritage.
According to the Western Australia Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act, all landowners in the state are required to make sure that no actions carried out on their property endanger the integrity of cultural heritage sites.
Industry leaders are criticizing Labor’s new policies, which took effect on July 1, for concern that they will have an adverse effect on vital sectors including agriculture and housing.
Landowners who violate the new legislation may face severe fines or possibly prison time.
According to the Act, anyone wishing to carry out work on their property that is more than 1,100 square meters must obtain consent if they believe it may have an adverse effect on cultural assets.
The new restrictions, according to Mr. Littleproud, have left farmers and landowners in Western Australia uneasy and apprehensive.
“This has caused a lot of anxiety and fear when anywhere from 1,100 square meters, which is effectively a residential block in the outer suburbs of Perth, right through to agricultural, you have to have a cultural survey,” he said. “If you dig a hole deeper than 50 centimeters or you lift more than 20 kilograms of dirt of desilting a dam which will not go far, you have to have a cultural survey.”
The cost of Local Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Services (LACHS), according to the website of the Western Australian government, varies based on the provider.
The hourly rate for heritage officers can range from $80 to $120, and the rate for senior indigenous consultants can be as high as $120 to $160, therefore the cost of a land survey might be as much as $1,200 per day.
Mr. Littleproud also noted a federal government plan from Tanya Plibersek, the environment minister, to develop an updated national framework for the protection of cultural heritage.
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