The Hon. Beverley McArthur, Member for Western Victoria, Media Release, 16 February 2024
Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs) are significantly delaying building projects while charging higher prices for their Cultural Heritage Management Plans (CHMPs), a compulsory requirement for land development under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.
Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, called on the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples in Parliament to immediately and comprehensively review the legislation.
“The Cultural Heritage Management Plan sees cash end up in bank vaults and indigenous artefacts in storerooms.
“Victorian cultural heritage laws have lost the confidence of many in the farming, development and local government sectors, who believe some registered Aboriginal parties lack oversight and professionalism and can be guilty of obstruction, hostility and even extortion.
“And where RAPs have been placed in receivership, projects are indefinitely postponed.”
The legislation grants RAPs full autonomy to determine how cultural heritage assessments are conducted, costed and delivered.
“This Labor government has abdicated all responsibility for the process, thus enabling the registered Aboriginal parties to mark their own homework – not even VCAT is allowed to bring sanity to the decisions.
“Homebuyers and developers are facing consequences of soaring local infrastructure costs, new and increased taxes, and consequently rising house prices.
“If Labor wants to address the housing crisis, it must intervene to reduce the uncertainty, delay and cost of the cultural heritage management plan process.
“This is particularly important on sites where development has already occurred, sometimes multiple times over decades. Even the minister herself conceded that the laws impacted government projects.”
Mrs McArthur raised concerns about the purpose of the significant fees payable.
“Registered Aboriginal Parties in Victoria have enormous and growing cash reserves, but there is no direction from government on what their purpose is or how the money should be spent.
“In my view the system needs proper oversight and transparency. The glut of cash should be wound down by substantially reduced project fees, and more staff employed to expedite applications.”
There are also concerns as to how cultural heritage and archaeological artefacts are conserved.
Mrs McArthur said, “For a system intended to protect and promote Indigenous heritage, it is failing dismally. There appears to be no plan or direction for what should be done with heritage and archaeological artefacts uncovered.
“Where does the material uncovered go? Back in the ground sometimes.
“There appears to be no government requirement for its display or for educational programs to be provided.”
The Minister has not responded to Mrs McArthur’s adjournment matter.
