PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian resources sector has welcomed the state government’s proposed amendments to the Aboriginal Heritage Act, expressing hope that it would result in an improved and more efficient system.

The draft Aboriginal Heritage Amendment Bill aims to increase transparency in the evaluation of the importance and significance of places and objects to the Aboriginal people, the manner and form in which to register these sites and objects, and the prohibition or restrictions of the disclosure of some or all of the information to the register.

The regulation reforms would inform land users about how to determine their legal obligations to protect heritage sites, and would encourage early consultation with Traditional Custodians, registered Native Title claimants and representative Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander bodies.

The Western Australian Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME) has long advocated for improvements to develop additional transparency and certainty in the Aboriginal Heritage system, said CME deputy chief executive Nicole Roocke.

“The Aboriginal Heritage Act has been in operation since 1972 and CME considers it an appropriate time to update the legislation so it remains contemporary,” said Roocke.

The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (Amec) has also welcomed the draft legislation, with CEO Simon Bennison saying the current legislation was well overdue for comprehensive review and improvement.

“Over the last few years, Amec has been actively promoting legislative and administrative reform within the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in order to streamline processes and remove any unnecessary regulatory burden and red tape. Significant progress has been made with administrative processes and with the integrity of the Sites Register. However, legislative changes are a crucial component of the reform agenda and need to be progressed as soon as possible.”

Bennison said that the Amendment Bill should provide increased clarity and certainty for all stakeholders, as well as improve compliance, efficiency and effectiveness.

“The proposed streamlined process around the issuing of permits and declarations, creating a register of declarations and permits, strengthening the integrity of the register of Aboriginal sites and allowing the transferability of Section 18 permits to another party should provide certainty for all stakeholders, while also protecting Aboriginal heritage sites.

“The proposed amendments should also contribute towards a reduction in the timeframes that apply to the approvals process.”