First Nations Australia

The Northern Australia Committee will hear from a range of "stakeholders" to listen to their perspectives on finding the right balance between protecting cultural heritage and allowing industry to operate in Northern Australia. Representatives of the North Queensland Land Council, Queensland Resources Council, Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation, Jack Green, Nurrdalinji Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining and Queensland University will be appearing. The public hearing is part of the inquiry into the destruction of Indigenous heritage sites at Juukan Gorge and will be held by video/teleconference to continue the committee’s investigation of cultural heritage issues in Queensland and in the Northern Territory. A key issue for Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation is the interaction between the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 (Qld) and the Native Title Act 1993, particularly the rights that should be granted once a Native Title claim is determined. The Queensland Resources Council is determined to strike the right balance between protecting cultural heritage and providing "certainty" to industry. Committee Chair Warren Entsch is eager to engage with a broad range of stakeholders in order to ascertain how to protect cultural heritage while also giving certainty to industry. ‘Bringing different stakeholders together to understand their perspectives is the only way to prevent the destruction of heritage’, Mr Entsch said. A program for the public hearing is available on the Committee’s website. Public hearing details Date: Friday, 18 June 2021 Time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm AEST Location: by video/teleconference The hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Further details of the inquiry, including terms of reference, can be found on the Committee’s website.