Traditional owners in the NT have launched a scathing attack on the territory government, accusing it of “treating them like children” in a “tick-a-box” meeting on sacred site reforms.
The Northern Territory government on Monday announced plans to amend the Sacred Sites Act to reduce the administrative burden on landholders and give developers confidence. The lands, planning and environment minister, Joshua Burgoyne, told the ABC he would “make sure that we bring traditional owners along for the ride with us” in the reform process.
But a representative body for traditional owners in central Australia said the government had been “secretive” about the proposed changes.
The Central Land Council represent 75 remote communities and outstations. Its chair, Warren Williams, met with the minister last week over reforms to the legislation.
“We asked for information; he gave us platitudes. He disrespected us and treated us like little children,” Williams said.
“He asked us to simply accept that the government’s intentions behind the changes are good. He wouldn’t give us any details about the changes or how they would work. All he had was empty talk. No wonder we are all very alarmed.
“Do not believe him if he tries to pass off this cynical tick-a-box exercise as consultation with the land councils.”
The Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act protects about 15,000 recognised Indigenous heritage in the territory. It is the strongest legislation to protect sacred sites in the country, according to the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority.
In 2016, an independent review under the Labor-led Gunner government made 36 recommendations and called for sweeping changes, including strengthening protections, maximising penalties for breaches and streamlining processes.
Burgoyne said the review would be the basis for reforming the act.
Williams said sacred sites belonged to the traditional owners not the government, and urged the Finocchiaro government to work with them to reform the laws.
“[The government] should not change the law protecting our sites without consulting traditional owners and native title holders,” Williams said. “This is not how informed consent works.”
Williams told Guardian Australia the CLC was concerned the legislation was being rushed through Parliament, and was working with other land councils to “put up a fight about our concerns”.
“We need time to talk this over with our families, elders and the men in the community,” he said.
“This is going to affect everyone, we have a lot of sacred trees, mountains - you’ve got to leave it there, if there’s a mining company or road crews doing something on a road they have to leave [the sacred sites] there.”
In a statement, Burgoyne said the proposed amendments would improve “consistency across legislation” and give industries greater confidence.
“Any updates to the Sacred Sites Act will seek to strengthen the protection of sacred sites and ensure our regulatory processes provide for safe development in the Northern Territory,” he said.
He said the act had not been updated in more than 30 years. Among the proposed changes is making authority certificates – documents that protect sacred sites from damage by setting out the conditions for undertaking work in the area – transferable. They are now issued only for a specific proposal, and any works falling outside it do not have legal protection.
Burgoyne said the proposed change would “ensure that processes do not need to be unnecessarily repeated and cause delays to development”.
Opposition MP and former deputy chief minister Chansey Paech, whose electorate, Gwoja, stretches from the Victoria Highway down to the South Australian border, including the western desert region, said any reforms to the act must protect “country”.
“We cannot let any proposed changes dilute the NT Sacred Sites Act,” the Arrente, Arabana and Gurindji man said on social media.
“Now, more than ever, we must stand together to protect country. The NT CLP Government must immediately come forward and clearly outline the proposed changes and stop hiding.”
The NT government did not immediately respond to Guardian Australia’s questions.
