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He said while “Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal interests are dependent on effective Aboriginal cultural heritage laws”, WA’s plans were not the way to do it. “The clear lesson from Juukan Gorge was that the protection and maintenance of genuine Aboriginal cultural heritage required approval processes that were transparent, detailed and well known,” he said. Senator Smith is calling for the proposed July 1 start date to be put back. “Premier Cook’s belligerence threatens the future prosperity of WA,” he said. “There is no shame in pressing the pause button for six months to allow a more comprehensive implementation and consultation program to undertaken.”

Gina Rinehart says adding a granny flat to a large backyard could be held up by contentious Indigenous heritage laws set to come into effect in Western Australia next month. Mrs Rinehart joins critics of the proposal who have described it as “shambolic” and said it would probably hold up new mines and food production. Australia’s richest person also hit out at the federal government’s plan to boost immigration, saying it had no mandate for the policy and should instead ease restrictions on the hours worked by pensioners and students.

The modern history of the Hancocks is well known but earlier generations also had a big impact on our State’s development It is quite a picture. The striking white horses kick up dust as they work in unison to pull the coach through the WA outback. Five men sit atop the coach and a lone rider keeps pace alongside. The photo presents a fascinating reminder of how once supplies, mail and people were carried across vast stretches of WA.

Roger Cook must have been channelling an inner Albo when he faced his first parliamentary question time as Premier. Cook was confronted by a request from Opposition Leader Shane Love to postpone the implementation of Labor’s new Indigenous cultural heritage laws because of widespread community unrest. Love, the leader of the National Party, which holds seats only in regional WA, was responding to one of the biggest protest petitions ever presented to the Parliament, demanding a delay.

June 2023

Some of WA’s most prominent Aboriginal corporations have condemned the State Government’s new cultural heritage laws, claiming native title groups are “vastly under-resourced” for next month’s rollout and the new laws “will not prevent further tragedies like Juukan Gorge”. In a November 2021 letter, KLC chair Anthony Watson made an “urgent” appeal to all elected members of the WA Parliament to vote against the Bill. “The KLC was shocked to witness the introduction of the amended Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill despite widespread condemnation from Aboriginal people and heritage experts across the State and country,” the letter stated. “The KLC does not support the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill and we call on you, our elected representatives, to hear the voices of Aboriginal people and vote in accordance with our wishes.”

June 2023

WA’s biggest miners have held crisis meetings about the roll-out of the State Government’s incoming cultural heritage laws with serious concerns about aspects of the new system. While supportive of the ambition of the post-Juukan Gorge heritage reforms, set to come into force on July 1, some are privately troubled by the “messy implementation” and the impact on operations. One major point of contention is a cost recovery model that was announced last month, requiring land users engaging in activities that may disturb cultural heritage to pay a fee.