Exploration Under the new Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act

[Moneybox]

The government is in the midst of their "Co-Design" process which aims to collaborate with Aboriginal people and other stakeholders regarding the new Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021.

"When the Act is fully functioning, undertaking exploration or mining becomes a higher risk enterprise with the potential for substantial fines." Read more in our article, Analysis of the ACH Act 2021

 

[user 22230]

Aaaaaaah yes have a lot of thoughts regards this matter, but being very hard to comment without it being regarded as political then I guess one must hold those thoughts ? Appreciate the info MB

 

[Goldtalk Leonora]

It's not all doom and gloom but there will be parts that I anticipate will be unworkable. The key now is not so much the act but what pops up in it's regulations.
What it will most certainly do is put a lot more pressure on govt departments such as DPLH....this will cost time and that costs money.

 

[EVIE/BEE]

Detector users are 'Tier 1' we're all safe.
Be a good idea if Phil sold all his mining equipment.

Just to be safe.

 

[Goldtalk Leonora]

it "should" be ok...we'll see.

 

[user 4386]

Detector users are 'Tier 1' we're all safe.
Be a good idea if Phil sold all his mining equipment.

Just to be safe.


View attachment 2987

I think that is pretty safe - the Mining Industry could not do exploration otherwise. The main change seems to be increased penalties for doing the wrong thing, which is perhaps not surprising.

 

[EVIE/BEE]

So is it really about aboriginal heritage, politics or the money??

oops the dreaded 'P' word.

 

[user 4386]

So is it really about aboriginal heritage, politics or the money??

oops the dreaded 'P' word.

Money is rarely a factor if a big company stuffs up - it is the bad publicity because of the fines. A couple of million is a flash in the pan for a CRA, but it sounds a lot to the public and therefore gets lots of press coverage that they do not want (nor does the industry). Politics is always a factor, but destruction of important sites doesn't get much support from anyone..

 

[Goldtalk Leonora]

Money is rarely a factor if a big company stuffs up - it is the bad publicity because of the fines. A couple of million is a flash in the pan for a CRA, but it sounds a lot to the public and therefore gets lots of press coverage that they do not want (nor does the industry). Politics is always a factor, but destruction of important sites doesn't get much support from anyone..

disagree....Rio Tinito's job on Junkan Gorge and the outcry from the public is the reason we are here with a new act.

 

[Goldtalk Leonora]

So is it really about aboriginal heritage, politics or the money??

oops the dreaded 'P' word.

to the aboriginals its about money, to some of the public it's about aboriginal heritage and to the politicians its always about the politics!

 

[user 4386]

to the aboriginals its about money, to some of the public it'aboriginal heritage and to the politicians its always about the politics!

But it is not aborigines who get the money from fines, it is the government - at best they get some money out of their cultural heritage from tourists, but I have not seen much of that done. I'm in the mining industry but no way could I justify what happened at Juukan gorge. And it did us no favours.

 

[Goldtalk Leonora]

But it is not aborigines who get the money from fines, it is the government - at best they get some money out of their cultural heritage from tourists, but I have not seen much of that done. I'm in the mining industry but no way could I justify what happened at Juukan gorge. And it did us no favours.

I'm in the mining industry as well....remember that Jukan gorge was legally done...but it was not accepted by the public....hence the changes. The abs don't make their money out of fines...they make their money from heritage survey work...and big money it is. There is constant fighting amongst families to be able to 'speak' for their patch of dirt. Much of the problems we have today have been caused by companies and their lack of understanding of heritage issues.

 

[user 4386]

I'm in the mining industry as well....remember that Jukan gorge was legally done...but it was not accepted by the public....hence the changes. The abs don't make their money out of fines...they make their money from heritage survey work...and big money it is. There is constant fighting amongst families to be able to 'speak' for their patch of dirt. Much of the problems we have today have been caused by companies and their lack of understanding of heritage issues.

I thought I would avoid mentioning that all the flack went to the company and the fact the government approved it seems to be ignored. But a bit more common sense by companies is needed. It stuffs it up for the rest of us.

 

[Goldtalk Leonora]

I thought I would avoid mentioning that all the flack went to the company and the fact the government approved it seems to be ignored. But a bit more common sense by companies is needed. It stuffs it up for the rest of us.

your right but it changes little.The biggest problem out here are junior explorers (and there are many new ones at the moment) and their complete lack of understanding of heritage issues. Instead of engaging the services of people who get it...they throw money at the problem and often pay ridiculous sums of money when there is no need to. Downstream, this makes it very hard for the little guys.

 

[user 4386]

your right but it changes little.The biggest problem out here are junior explorers (and there are many new ones at the moment) and their complete lack of understanding of heritage issues. Instead of engaging the services of people who get it...they throw money at the problem and often pay ridiculous sums of money when there is no need to. Downstream, this makes it very hard for the little guys.

A common problem with junior explorers - throwing money at everything and leaving little to drill with once they have something of interest. I have seen as much as $100,000 spent on a single tenement just finalizing title to walk on ordinary farmland (i.e. nothing to do with native title).

 

[Goldtalk Leonora]

yep....I know of 50k being paid to a local TO to clear ground that did not need to be cleared....interesting times ahead for the industry.