Antinuclear

Western Australia’s changes to Aboriginal Heritage Act will benefit miners, disadvantage Aborigines

Aboriginal Heritage Act changes help miners, but do little to protect sacred sites: Greens ABC News By Katrin Long 12 Jun 2014 The Greens have raised concerns over a WA Government proposal to amend parts of the Aboriginal Heritage Act, which sets out the way in which sacred places and objects should be preserved.

The Act has not had any major changes since it was introduced 42 year ago.

One of the changes would see control of major decisions regarding potential and established heritage sites handed from a committee to a single CEO. The Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME) has said the proposed changes would improve efficiency in the mining and energy sector.

Greens MP Robin Chapple said the changes would aid mining companies, but would constitute a “complete desecration” of an Act that has already been watered down since its inception.

“They’ve taken away what was left of a shell of an Act and just trashed it,” he said…..http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-12/concern-over-proposed-changes-to-aboriginal-heritage-act/5518244

June 13, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | aboriginal issues, Western Australia