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Inquiry Into the Destruction of 46,000 Year Old Caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia

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Inquiry Into the Destruction of 46,000 Year Old Caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia 21 August 2020 Telephone +61 2 6246 3788 • Fax +61 2 6248 0639 Email [email protected] GPO Box 1989, Canberra ACT 2601, DX 5719 Canberra 19 Torrens St Braddon ACT 2612 Law Council of Australia Limited ABN 85 005 260 622 www.lawcouncil.asn.au Table of Contents About the Law Council of Australia ................................................................................4 Acknowledgement ...........................................................................................................5 Executive Summary .........................................................................................................6 Recommendations ...........................................................................................................7 Context .............................................................................................................................8 Introductory Remarks .....................................................................................................8 Law Council Approach ..................................................................................................10 Overview of the Australian Legislative Framework ........................................................12 Commonwealth Legislation .......................................................................................12 State and Territory Legislation ...................................................................................12 Burra Charter ............................................................................................................14 Overview of International Laws and Standards .............................................................14 International Conventions .........................................................................................14 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ..............................15 International Law on Cultural Heritage ......................................................................18 National Legal and Conceptual Framework for Protecting First Nations’ Cultural Heritage ..........................................................................................................................21 Responses to the Terms of Reference .........................................................................28 (a) The operation of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA) and approvals provided under the Act ................................................................................................................28 Key Provisions and Limitations .................................................................................29 Case of the Juukan Gorge ........................................................................................31 Existing Review ........................................................................................................32 (f) The interaction of state Indigenous cultural heritage regulations with Commonwealth laws ....................................................................................................34 (g) The effectiveness and adequacy of state and federal laws in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage in each of the Australian jurisdictions ..................................................................................................................35 Commonwealth Jurisdiction ......................................................................................35 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act .................................35 Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act .................................41 Native Title Act ......................................................................................................45 Protection of Moveable Cultural Heritage Act ........................................................52 Copyright Act .........................................................................................................52 State Jurisdictions .....................................................................................................52 Queensland ...........................................................................................................53 New South Wales ..................................................................................................54 South Australia ......................................................................................................60 Victoria ..................................................................................................................61 Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara Page 2 Northern Territory ......................................................................................................69 (h) How Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage laws might be improved to guarantee the protection of culturally and historically significant sites .......69 National Principles ....................................................................................................69 Strengthening legislation ...........................................................................................71 (i) Opportunities to improve Indigenous heritage protection through the EPBC Act .......73 (j) Any other related matters .........................................................................................77 Appendix ........................................................................................................................78 AH Act (WA) – Previous Reviews .................................................................................78 1995 Senior Review ..................................................................................................78 2000 Proposed Redraft .............................................................................................78 2014 Proposed Amendments ....................................................................................79 Aboriginal Cultural Materials Committee Guidelines 2013 .........................................80 ATSIHP Act – Case Study: Dja Dja Wurrung Bark Etchings in Victoria .........................80 Djab Wurrung application relating to the Western Highway .......................................81 Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara Page 3 About the Law Council of Australia The Law Council of Australia exists to represent the legal profession at the national level, to speak on behalf of its Constituent Bodies on national issues, and to promote the administration of justice, access to justice and general improvement of the law. The Law Council advises governments, courts and federal agencies on ways in which the law and the justice system can be improved for the benefit of the community. The Law Council also represents the Australian legal profession overseas, and maintains close relationships with legal professional bodies throughout the world. The Law Council was established in 1933, and represents 16 Australian State and Territory law societies and bar associations and the Law Firms Australia, which are known collectively as the Council’s Constituent Bodies. The Law Council’s Constituent Bodies are: • Australian Capital Territory Bar Association • Australian Capital Territory Law Society • Bar Association of Queensland Inc • Law Institute of Victoria • Law Society of New South Wales • Law Society of South Australia • Law Society of Tasmania • Law Society Northern Territory • Law Society of Western Australia • New South Wales Bar Association • Northern Territory Bar Association • Queensland Law Society • South Australian Bar Association • Tasmanian Bar • Law Firms Australia • The Victorian Bar Inc • Western Australian Bar Association Through this representation, the Law Council effectively acts on behalf of more than 60,000 lawyers across Australia. The Law Council is governed by a board of 23 Directors – one from each of the constituent bodies and six elected Executive members. The Directors meet quarterly to set objectives, policy and priorities for the Law Council. Between the meetings of Directors, policies and governance responsibility for the Law Council is exercised by the elected Executive members, led by the President who normally serves a 12 month term. The Council’s six Executive members are nominated and elected by the board of Directors. Members of the 2020 Executive as at 1 January 2020 are: • Ms Pauline Wright, President • Dr Jacoba Brasch QC, President-elect • Mr Tass Liveris, Treasurer • Mr Ross Drinnan, Executive Member • Mr Greg McIntyre SC, Executive Member • Ms Caroline Counsel, Executive Member The Secretariat serves the Law Council nationally and is based in Canberra. Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara Page 4 Acknowledgement The Law Council is particularly grateful for the expertise of its Indigenous Legal Issues Committee and the Australian Environment and Planning Law Group of its Legal Practice Section in leading the development of this submission. It acknowledges the contributions of the Law Society of Western Australia, Law Society of South Australia, Bar Association of Queensland, Indigenous Justice Committee of the Victorian
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