Home
2. Cultural Heritage

Cultural Heritage

There are many aspects of the landscape which contain Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Values. Historically, many non-Aboriginal people have viewed Aboriginal cultural heritage as identifying archaeological sites that need to be protected.

The reality is that Aboriginal cultural heritage concerns are far broader. Within the social fabric of traditional Aboriginal society, people had cultural obligations to care for Country and many Aboriginal people still feel a level of obligation today.

For more information on Cultural Values click here...

 

Members of the Central West CMA’s Aboriginal Reference Group at the inaugural meeting, with Ms Linda Burney, MP.

 

Members of the Aboriginal Reference Group with Min Verity Firth, MP and Mr Tom Gavel (Board Chairman) at the launch of the Cultural Heritage Incentives Program, September 2007.

 

(l to r) Mr Tom Gavel, Chairman; Mr Will Burns (Central West CMA); Mr Tim Ferraro (General Manager) and Min Verity Firth at the launch of the Cultural Heritage Incentives program, September 2007.

 

---

 

 

 

---

 

Catchment and Management Target Overview till 2016:

Catchment Target (CTCH1):

• Increase the protection of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal significant sites within the catchment.

Management Target (MTCH1):

• By 2016, protection of culturally significant aspects of the landscape, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal.

Management Target (MTCH2):

• By 2016, increase negotiated indigenous access to lands within the catchment which are of Aboriginal cultural significance, but which recognise the legitimate rights of landholders

Management Target (MTCH3):

• By 2016, 100% of completed integrated property management plans will address the management issues relating to cultural heritage resources and other culturally significant areas, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal.

 

---

 

Targets in Detail:

The Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Cultural Heritage targets meet the following Natural Resources Commission's Statewide Targets as referenced in the Catchment Action Plan:

• Community Targets - 12, 13, 14;
• Water Targets - 5;
• Biodiversity Targets - 1;
• Land 11.

---

 

Catchment Target (CTCH1):

• Increase the protection of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal significant sites within the catchment. In order to successfully progress into the future, it is recognised that society needs to acknowledge and learn from the past. In the Central West catchment, this is certainly the case for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultural heritage. The intent of this target is to ensure that the physical aspect of cultural heritage is protected into the future for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

---

 

Management Target (MTCH1):

• By 2016, protection of culturally significant aspects of the landscape, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. The identification of cultural heritage is the first step in securing the protection of these values. In the case of Indigenous cultural heritage, it is the Aboriginal people who are the primary source of information relating to the value of their heritage and how it is best preserved and therefore must have an active role in planning process and decision making. Additionally, it is the Indigenous peoples who must retain control of such intellectual property and other information relating to their heritage, as this in itself may be an integral part of its heritage value.

• This target intends to address this issue by facilitating ongoing involvement in natural resource management planning and decision making. This process would ideally be undertaken by means of ongoing consultation with established reference groups and networks or groups. Input from such reference groups may be sought in relation to significant sites and aspects of the landscape, or may be in relation to traditional practices and their role in contemporary land-use practice.

 

---

 

Management Target (MTCH2):

• By 2016, increase negotiated indigenous access to lands within the catchment which are of Aboriginal cultural significance, but which recognise the legitimate rights of landholders Access to lands of Aboriginal cultural significance is considered an important action that serves to maintain the heritage values of that place as well as culture. For example, provision of access to places for ceremonies or traditional management practices including the collection of food, ochre or plants may be important in its own right or may be necessary for maintaining other cultural activities such as ceremonies or painting at traditional art sites.

• The intent of this target is to put in place a process to negotiate agreements between landholders and traditional owners to allow access to undertake traditional responsibilities and to protect sites of significance from degrading processes. The level of access or degree of protection for particular sites would be the major outcome from such a negotiation. Sites of particular significance may already be protected by legislation, however, this process is aimed at increasing awareness and co-operation between people living in the catchment to improve management and protection of cultural heritage values.

 

---

 

Management Target (MTCH3):

• By 2016, 100% of completed integrated property management plans will address the management issues relating to cultural heritage resources and other culturally significant areas, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. This target aims to ensure that property scale planning addresses cultural heritage and puts in place measures for the ongoing management and protection of any Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal culturally significant sites that may occur on the property. Just as property planning must take into account a range of factors such as water sharing, vegetation management and production issues this target aims to ensure cultural values are firmly on the agenda at the property planning scale.

• Management practices included in any property plan in relation to cultural heritage must be in accordance with any legislation, agreed protocols or with the endorsement of indigenous traditional owners. This target does not intend to place far reaching restrictions on a land holder’s activities but to ensure that land management activities are carried out in such a manner as to preserve, protect and manage cultural resources where they exist on the property.

• Once again appropriate methods of management and preservation are best determined by the traditional owners or cultural heritage specialists and may range from maintenance, restoration, removal or interpretation of the heritage sites/values that may exist on the property.