The NSW Government Is Approving The Destruction Of Four Aboriginal Heritage Sites A Week
"That is a massive loss and massive destruction across our country."
An average of four Aboriginal heritage sites are being green-lit for destruction in New South Wales every week, according to budget estimates.
The NSW Government has approved 221 Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permits (AHIP) in 2020/21, with 46 of these permits being issued since July. When a permit is issued, the state gives legal approval for Aboriginal objects or culturally significant places to be moved, destroyed, damaged or defaced.
“It’s important to note that Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit applications are rarely refused outright, the majority of Aboriginal impact permits are, in fact, approved with conditions,” NSW Aboriginal Affairs Minister Don Harwin told the budget estimates hearing on Friday.
The most recent budget hearing also revealed that Heritage NSW — the body in charge of issuing AHIP permits — received 142 referrals for comment on Aboriginal Cultural Heritage issues in the last four months. For context, this is triple the amount in the previous reporting period.
Additionally, seven trees that hold immense cultural significance to local communities have been approved to be cut down as part of the Barton Highway upgrade project.
The Barton Highway project — which is costing taxpayers a quiet $200 million — has been temporarily suspended while the Transport board discusses issues regarding both cultural heritage sites, and the welfare of the vulnerable squirrel glider population in the area.
“A blanket AHIP (Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit) was granted for the whole of stage one, which included an unassessed area,” Ngunawal traditional custodian and Onerwal Local Aboriginal Land Council member Wally Bell told the ABC. “How they can make an application AHIP without undergoing proper assessment of the entire area?
“I have no understanding how they can get away with doing something like that…Near Kaveneys Road we have two scar trees, a ring tree and what we call our spirit circle.”
While two major ring trees — which hold cultural significance to local people — have been flagged for protection, they will end up sitting between two major carriageways, and will therefore likely die as a result.But it’s not just this project that has been criticised, the entire system of heritage laws has come under fire for being “outdated and ineffective.”
“Four permits issued every week — that is a massive loss and massive destruction across our country,” NSW Aboriginal Land Council chair Anne Dennis told the ABC. “It is quite disturbing it is continually happening in our country. The current laws relating to protection and promotion around Aboriginal Cultural heritage are outdated and ineffective.”
Despite complaints, Heritage NSW asserts it acts “in accordance with section 90K of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974,” according to a statement provided to the ABC.
The news comes after highly anticipated reforms to the laws were delayed again this year, with Harwin confirming that a draft of the bill won’t be released until at least 2022.