Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-hfldf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-14T09:35:30.665Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Are we there yet? A review of proposed Aboriginal cultural heritage laws in New South Wales, Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2021

Kylie Lingard Open the ORCID record for Kylie Lingard [Opens in a new window] ,
Natalie P. Stoianoff Open the ORCID record for Natalie P. Stoianoff [Opens in a new window] ,
Evana Wright Open the ORCID record for Evana Wright [Opens in a new window]  and
Sarah Wright Open the ORCID record for Sarah Wright [Opens in a new window]
Kylie Lingard*
Affiliation:
School of Law, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
Natalie P. Stoianoff
Affiliation:
Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
Evana Wright
Affiliation:
Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
Sarah Wright
Affiliation:
School of Law, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
*
Corresponding author. Email: klingard@uow.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article examines the extent to which a recent law reform initiative in New South Wales (NSW), Australia—the draft Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill 2018 (NSW)—advances the general principles outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The examination reveals some improvements on the current legal framework and some concerning proposals that distance the NSW government from the UNDRIP principles. Key concerns include a proposed transfer of administrative responsibility to Aboriginal bodies with no corresponding guarantee of funding; the continued vesting of key decision-making powers in government; inept provisions for the protection of secret knowledge; and lower penalties for harming cultural heritage than for related offences in existing environmental and planning legislation. Given the bill’s weaknesses, the article explores pragmatic alternatives to better advance the UNDRIP principles.

Keywords

Indigenous cultural heritageIndigenous knowledgeintangible cultural heritagetangible cultural heritageAustralia
Type
Article
Information
International Journal of Cultural Property , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , February 2021 , pp. 107 - 135
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the International Cultural Property Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aboriginal Culture and Heritage Reform Working Party. 2013. Reforming the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage System in NSW: Draft Recommendations to the NSW Government. Sydney: State of NSW and OEH.Google Scholar
AIATSIS (Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies). 2018. “Indigenous Australians: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.” 1 March. https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/articles/indigenous-australians-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-people (accessed 7 March 2021).Google Scholar
Angus, Chris. 2018. Indigenous NSW: Findings from the 2016 Census. Sydney: NSW Parliamentary Research Service.Google Scholar
Australia, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2018. Celebrating Indigenous Cultures: Closing the Gap Prime Minister’s Report.Google Scholar
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Human Rights Commission. 2019. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Rights in International Law. Canberra: ACT Human Rights Commission.Google Scholar
Battiste, Marie, and Henderson, James Youngblood. 2000. Protecting Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage: A Global Challenge. Saskatoon: Purich Press.Google Scholar
Bianco, Joseph Lo. 2008. “Organizing for Multilingualism: Ecological and Sociological Perspectives.” Paper presented at Keeping Language Diversity Alive, Alice Springs, 9 July.Google Scholar
Butterly, Lauren, and Pepper, Rachel. 2017. “Are Courts Colourblind to Country? Indigenous Cultural Heritage, Environmental Law and the Australian Judicial System.” University of New South Wales Law Journal 40, no. 4: 1313–35.Google Scholar
Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW. 2011. National Parks and Wildlife Amendment Bill 2010 (Omnibus Bill) and Regulations: Better Regulation Statement. Sydney: NSW Government.Google Scholar
Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW. 2013. Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Consultation Requirements for Proponents 2010. Sydney: NSW Government.Google Scholar
Drahos, Peter. 2014. Intellectual Property, Indigenous People and Their Knowledge. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dutfield, Graham. 1999. “Protecting and Revitalizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Intellectual Property and Community Knowledge Databases in India.” In Intellectual Property Aspects of Ethnobiology, edited by Michael Blakeney, 101–22. London: Sweet and Maxwell.Google Scholar
Gardiner-Garden, John. 2003. “Defining Aboriginality in Australia.” Brief of the Commonwealth. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Publications_Archive/CIB/cib0203/03Cib10 (accessed 7 March 2021).Google Scholar
Heiss, Anita. 2013. “Government Policy in Relation to Aboriginal People.” https://www.sydneybarani.com.au/sites/government-policy-in-relation-to-aboriginal-people/ (accessed 7 March 2021).Google Scholar
Horton, David. 1996. “AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia.” Map. AIATSIS. https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/articles/aiatsis-map-indigenous-australia (accessed 7 March 2021).Google Scholar
Human Rights Council. 2016. Views on Conclusions and/or Recommendations, Voluntary Commitments and Replies Presented by the State under Review, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review: Australia. Doc no. A/HRC/31/14/Add.1, 29 February.Google Scholar
Hutchinson, Terry, and Duncan, Nigel. 2012. “Defining and Describing What We Do: Doctrinal Legal Research.” Deakin Law Review 17, no. 1: 83–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kohli, Kanchi, Fareedi, Mashqura, and Bhutani, Shalini. 2009. Six Years of the Biological Diversity Act in India. Dehli: Kalpavriksh and GRAIN.Google Scholar
Korff, Jens. 2019. “Torres Strait Islander Culture.” Creative Spirits. https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/torres-strait-islander-culture (accessed 7 March 2021).Google Scholar
Lingard, Kylie. 2012. “The Impact of the Law on Consultation Practices and Purpose: A Case Study of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Consultations in NSW.” International Journal of Rural Law and Policy 1: 1–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lingard, Kylie, and Martin, Paul. 2016. “Strategies to Support the Interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Commercial Development of Gourmet Bush Food Products.” International Journal of Cultural Property 23, no. 1: 33–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macklin, Jenny. 2009. Statement on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Canberra: Australian Government.Google Scholar
Merle, Alexander, Kambu, Chamundeeswari Alphonse, Ruiz, Manuel, and Tobin, Brendan. 2004. The Role of Registers and Databases in the Protection of Traditional Knowledge: A Comparative Analysis. Tokyo: United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability.Google Scholar
NSW Aboriginal Land Council. 2018a. Comparison Table: Aboriginal Culture and Heritage Reform. Sydney: NSW Aboriginal Land Council.Google Scholar
NSW Aboriginal Land Council. 2018b. Draft Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill 2018 and Related Proposals: Submission. Sydney: NSW Aboriginal Land Council.Google Scholar
OEH (Office of Environment and Heritage). 2009. Operational Policy: Protecting Aboriginal Cultural Heritage. Sydney: NSW Government.Google Scholar
OEH. 2010. Due Diligence Code of Practice for the Protection of Aboriginal Objects in New South Wales. Sydney: NSW Government.Google Scholar
OEH. 2012. Aboriginal Heritage Legislation in NSW: How the Aboriginal Heritage System Works. Sydney: NSW Government.Google Scholar
OEH. 2013. Reforming the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage System in NSW: A NSW Government Model in Response to the ACH Reform Working Party’s Recommendations and Public Consultation. Sydney: NSW Government.Google Scholar
OEH. 2017. A Proposed New Legal Framework: Aboriginal Cultural Heritage in NSW. Sydney: NSW Government.Google Scholar
OEH. 2018a. Aboriginal Cultural Heritage in NSW: Summary of Submissions Report. Sydney: NSW Government.Google Scholar
OEH. 2018b. Guide to Finding Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Reform Proposals. Sydney: NSW Government.Google Scholar
OEH. 2018c. Ministerial Powers in the Draft Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill. Sydney: NSW Government.Google Scholar
OEH. 2019. Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System. Sydney: NSW Government. https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/aboriginal-cultural-heritage/protect-and-manage/aboriginal-heritage-information-management-system (accessed 8 August 2019).Google Scholar
OEH. 2020a. Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit Public Register. Sydney: NSW Government. https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/aboriginal-cultural-heritage/protect-and-manage/impact-permits/public-register (accessed 3 February 2020).Google Scholar
OEH. 2020b. Search for NSW Heritage. Sydney: NSW Government. https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/heritagesearch.aspx (accessed 7 March 2021).Google Scholar
Packham, Alison. 2014. “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Legislative Shortcomings Hindering Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Protection.” Environmental and Planning Law Journal 31: 75–91.Google Scholar
Pepper, Rachel, and Duxson, Sophie. 2014. “Not Plants or Animals: The Protection of Indigenous Cultural Heritage in Australia.” Judicial Officers Bulletin 26, no. 9: 75–80.Google Scholar
Perry, Laurie, and Lingard, Kylie. 2018. Submission on the NSW Draft Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill 2018. Sydney: State of NSW and Office of Environment and Heritage.Google Scholar
Public Service Commission. 2015. Classification and Remuneration Framework for NSW Government Boards and Committees. Sydney: NSW Government.Google Scholar
Schnierer, Eloise, Ellsmore, Sylvie, and Schnierer, Stephan. 2011. State of Indigenous Cultural Heritage. Canberra: Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.Google Scholar
Stoianoff, Natalie P. 2012. “Navigating the Landscape of Indigenous Knowledge: A Legal Perspective.” Intellectual Property Forum 90: 23–40.Google Scholar
Stoianoff, Natalie P., Cahill, Ann, and Wright, Evana. 2017. “Indigenous Knowledge: What Are the Issues?’ In Indigenous Knowledge Forum – Comparaive Systems for Recognising and Protecting Indigenous Knowledge and Culture, edited by , Natalie P. Stoianoff, , 25–26. Sydney: LexisNexis.Google Scholar
Sullivan, Ann Marie. 2016. “Cultural Heritage and New Media: A Future for the Past.” Marshall Review of Intellectual Property Law 15, no. 3: 604–46.Google Scholar
Terri Janke and Company. 1999. Our Culture Our Future: Report on Australian Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.Google Scholar
Tobler, Ray, Rohrlach, Adam, Soubrier, Julien, and Bover, Pere. 2017. “Aboriginal Mitogenomes Reveal 50,000 years of Regionalism in Australia.” Nature 544: 180–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
University of Technology Sydney (UTS)-Indigenous Knowledge Forum, and North West Local Land Services (formerly Namoi CMA). 2014. Recognising and Protecting Aboriginal Knowledge Associated with Natural Resource Management. White paper. Sydney: OEH and NSW Government.Google Scholar
Van Hoecke, Mark. 2011. “Legal Doctrine: Which Method(s) for What Kind of Discipline.” In Methodologies of Legal Research: Which Kind of Method for What Kind of Discipline?, edited by , Mark Van Hoecke, , 2–18. Oxford: Hart Publishing.Google Scholar
Wilkie, Meredith. 1997. Bringing Them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families. Sydney: Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.Google Scholar
Wright, Evana, and Stoianoff, Natalie. 2018. Submission in Response to Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Reforms in NSW: A Proposed New Legal Framework. Sydney: State of NSW and Office of Environment and Heritage.Google Scholar