A peak Western Australian Aboriginal heritage lobby group has described the tabling of the states new Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill as a shocking betrayal of its people.
The Aboriginal Heritage Action Alliance (AHAA) is a community action group established in February 2015 to oppose changes proposed by the state government in regard to the substance and management of Western Australia’s Aboriginal Heritage Act.
Widi man Clayton Lewis, a co-founder of AHAA, says overall the bill leaves Aboriginal cultural heritage vulnerable to destruction and allows the state to take greater control to manage the heritage sector.
“The new Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill, currently being rushed through WA State Parliament will allow for countless sacred sites across Western Australia to be destroyed, just like Juukan Gorge. Traditional Owners across WA are speaking up and saying no to the bill but the McGowan Government is not listening to their cries. This bill needs to be stopped and I need your help to call and email the WA Labor MP’s that are pushing this bill through, so we can protect our sacred country and thousands of years of heritage” – WA Greens Senator Dorinda Cox
Listen to the full interview with Clayton Lewis here: