Kimberley Land Council

WA Labor Premier Roger Cook’s decision to repeal the new Aboriginal Cultural Heritage laws comes after sustained opposition to them from vested mining, pastoral and farming interests. Chris Jenkins reports.

 

Traditional Owners have not been consulted on the bill to replace the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA) and, as Alex Salmon reports, they say the bill is skewed towards the mining industry.

The Traditional Owners of the Mount Jowlaenga area in Western Australia’s Kimberley have won an appeal in the Federal Court against miner Sheffield Resources and the West Australian government over one of the country’s biggest mineral sands deposits.

The win means the Traditional Owners have succeeded in preventing Sheffield Resources from constructing its multi-million dollar Thunderbird project on their land without having reached agreements with them in key areas, including compensation and the management of Aboriginal heritage sites.