27 October, 2022
27 October 2022
The NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) supports next month’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage march.
The march will be held at Parliament House on 8 November 2022, to coincide with the handing down of the report by an Upper House Inquiry into the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage (Culture is Identity) Bill 2022. The march has been organised by Metropolitan and Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Councils.
“It really is frustrating that in 2022, NSW is the only jurisdiction without modernised Aboriginal Cultural Heritage laws,’’ NSWALC Deputy Chairperson Ross Hampton said.
“It is telling that while we will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act (ALRA) next year, we are still waiting for long-promised reforms to protect our precious Aboriginal culture and heritage. These reforms were originally promised by Governments when the ALRA was enacted in 1983.
“Every day our culture and heritage is being destroyed. We need a better system now to ensure our rich culture and heritage is protected for future generations. NSWALC and the network are frustrated by the lack of action.”
Cr Hampton also noted the Government and the Opposition made a bipartisan commitment to ACH reform in the NSW Parliament in 2010, “yet here we are still trying to achieve better ACH protections in NSW.”
NSWALC is encouraging others to support Metropolitan and Darkinjung by attending the march and ensuring this is a focus for the network leading up to the 2023 State Government election.
“NSWALC will continue to advocate and seek engagement with all political parties about the need for reform, and that ACH reform, in line with the Aboriginal Land Rights network key principles, must be a key reform commitment in the first 100 days of the next Parliament of NSW.”
Details: Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Protection march | Facebook
Media contact: media@alc.org.au