Melbourne: Aboriginal protesters on Thursday sharply criticized the revision of the legal law of Western Australia, said that, under the proposed change, their traditional land remained exposed to the risk destroyed by the developer.
Legislation in this state has until now most of the development projects that are on inheritance sites, but the preparation of amendments to the law has collected steps since Rio Tinto last year legally destroyed an ancient stone shelter there, pushing public protests.
The state government has begun to bring briefing to indigenous groups, miners and other stakeholders about the proposed revisions, and records of the latest draft seen by Reuters on Wednesday showing aboriginal groups will get a broader consultation rights about the project development project.
But groups will not get Veto, with the government-led process determining the results of development applications where there is no agreement that can be achieved through consultation.
On Thursday, members of the Western Australia Major land council group marched to the parliament building in Perth to show proposals in their current form.
“Under the current draft, if the minister decides the destruction of inheritance can occur, it will happen.
The main concern for us is the lack of appeal or available reviews,” said Yamatji Marlpa Aborigin Corporation, (YMAC) in a statement.
“This is a law about us, written without us,” added Kado Muir, Chair of the National Original Title Board.
Rio’s destruction of the sites on Gorge Jukukan, which showed signs of human habitation stretched back 46,000 years, as well as the top executive fees in the global mining company of their work and encouraged national reviews on industrial practices and national heritage law.
The review has not released its recommendations – another major concern for aboriginal groups.
“We stand on the parliamentary stairs today to call the government to take this lifetime opportunity to get laws around the true Aboriginal cultural heritage,” said the Chair of the Land Kimberley, Anthony Watson in a statement.
“Traditional owners must have control over their cultural heritage.”