REIWA welcomes Government repeal of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021

REIWA CEO Cath Hart has welcomed the WA Government response to industry and the community concerns about the implementation of the 2021 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act.

“REIWA supports the aims of safeguarding Aboriginal cultural heritage however we had shared with the Government the concerns raised by members and property owners that the 2021 regulations may have unintended consequences for residential transactions and development, particularly in regional and peri-urban areas such as the Swan Valley, Darling Range, western suburbs, and the Peel and South-West regions,” Ms Hart said.

“The 1,100sqm threshold did not reflect the diversity of residential properties across Western Australia, where 1,100sqm is a relatively modest sized property in many areas.

"The changes announced today will give residential and rural property owners the confidence to develop their property, whether to renovate, extend or subdivide, or add a dam or fences without fear of committing an offence by unknowingly disrupting Aboriginal cultural heritage. 

“They won’t need to check if their planned actions are exempt or be required to conduct their own heritage surveys.

“The Government’s repeal and amendments to the 1972 Act are a common sense solution for all parties.”