Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 - Overview

Overview

In proclaiming this statute, Queensland Parliament:

• created a statutory duty of care applying to all land users in Queensland, regardless of tenure;

• recognized any pre-existing agreements landholders may have entered into with Aboriginal owners;

• established a register of Aboriginal cultural heritage to be protected, plus database holding information and details of known Aboriginal cultural heritage places

• proscribed fundamental principles requiring areas and objects of significance to Aboriginal people to be protected and managed in accordance with relevant Aboriginal laws, customs or history

• provided for Aboriginal peoples to play an active role protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage by enabling particularly interested groups to form State approved Aboriginal cultural heritage bodies to whom cultural heritage inquires are referred

• provided for land users and Aboriginal peoples to be able to negotiate, agree, enter into, and, if desired, register with the State, cultural heritage management plans proscribing how Aboriginal cultural heritage is to be managed in particular places

• removed an earlier requirement under former Aboriginal cultural heritage legislation that a permit first be obtained before cultural heritage studies or management plans could be undertaken.