The Northern Territory government is planning to amend its sacred sites act, following extensive lobbying by pastoralists. The government says the proposed reforms will reduce red tape and stream-line development. The plan has alarmed traditional owners.
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00:00The bill hasn't been introduced yet so we don't know all the details but the NT government
00:07has outlined two key changes which it says will update a bill which has effectively been
00:13unchanged since the late 1980s.
00:16Now the first is to allow for the transfer of sacred site certificates from one owner
00:21to another.
00:22So for example, say a business owner wants to build an economic project in Darwin in
00:27a protected area, they've got to go through the steps of applying for a sacred site certificate
00:31but then they change their mind and they decide that they want to sell.
00:34Well under the proposed changes, that sacred site certificate could then be transferred
00:38from the old owner to the new owner without that new person having to obtain a brand new
00:43certificate.
00:44Now the second change is to make it easier to impose fines for minor breaches of the
00:49Sacred Sites Act.
00:51So rather than prosecuting people through the courts, authorities will be able to issue
00:56an infringement notice instead.
00:59Now the Central Land Council, which represents thousands of Aboriginal people across Central
01:03Australia, has been scathing of the government.
01:06The CLC's Chair, Warren Williams, says the NT government has failed to adequately consult
01:11with traditional owners and native title holders and even went so far as to say that the NT
01:16government has been treating them like little children.
01:19Now land councillors are worried that the NT government is going to rush through this
01:23legislation without adequate consultation and in many ways their fears are not totally
01:28unfounded.
01:29The NT government has been using its majority in parliament to rush through sweeping economic
01:35reforms, including new powers which allow a minister to override dozens of laws, including
01:41those aimed to protect the environment and cultural heritage.
01:45Now a final draft of the bill is due to be finalised by the end of the week when we'll
01:50know a lot more about what exactly the NT government is planning to do.