About the Aboriginal Heritage Act
The main purposes of the Aboriginal Heritage Act are to:
- provide for the protection of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage and Aboriginal intangible Heritage in Victoria
- empower Traditional Owners as protectors of their Cultural Heritage on behalf of Aboriginal People and all other peoples
- strengthen the ongoing right to maintain the distinctive spiritual, cultural, material and economic relationship of Traditional Owners with the land and waters and other resources with which they have a connection under traditional laws and customs
- promote respect for Aboriginal Cultural Heritage, contributing to its protection as part of the common heritage of all peoples and to the sustainable development and management of land and of the environment
Regulations and other legislation
Review of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006
The Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council is calling for legislative reform to protect Aboriginal Cultural Heritage.
To ensure Traditional Owners have the requisite regulatory support to protect the oldest living Culture on earth, Council undertook a review of the Act. Council developed a Discussion Paper to consider key sections of the Act that need strengthening to enshrine both self-determination and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in Victorian Aboriginal Cultural Heritage legislation. The discussion paper was then socialised seeking feedback from numerous stakeholders including Traditional Owners, Heritage Advisors, Victorian government agencies, industry partners and the business sector. This feedback informed and guided Council in the preparation of the final 24 recommendations for reform.
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