Labor plans heritage law overhaul as gold mine claims mount
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 1 Nov, 02:50 · Archive
Australia's Environment Minister says cultural heritage laws need reform as new Indigenous protection claims are lodged against a gold mine project.
The $1 billion McPhillamys Gold Project near Blayney in central-west New South Wales was given the green light on 14 October when the Federal Court overturned an Aboriginal heritage order that had stalled its development. The rare order had been issued in 2024 by then-environment minister Tanya Plibersek, who rejected the proposed site of a tailings dam—a decision mining giant Regis Resources claimed made the project unviable.
Environment Minister Murray Watt confirmed the government would not appeal the court decision and would instead focus on re-determining the project approval. Two new Aboriginal protection applications have been lodged since the court's decision, made under separate provisions to the initial order and aimed at protecting Aboriginal areas from immediate threat of injury or desecration.
Watt said the fresh claims were emblematic of the need for heritage law reform. 'We do need reform to Australia's cultural heritage laws,' he told News24. 'Currently, they're not doing a good job in protecting cultural heritage and they're absolutely not doing a good job in terms of slowing down the projects that Australia needs.' He noted the government was witnessing 'an absolute explosion in the applications under this law', further evidence that an overhaul was necessary.
How it is being reported
- Heritage law overhaul to combat 'explosion' in claimsLabor has pledged to overhaul cultural heritage laws as fresh Indigenous protection claims are lodged against a contested gold mine project.The West Australian · 1 Nov, 02:21
- Heritage law overhaul to combat 'explosion' in claimsLabor has pledged to overhaul cultural heritage laws as fresh Indigenous protection claims are lodged against a contested gold mine project.Perth Now · 1 Nov, 02:21
In this story: Labor · Murray Watt · Regis Resources · Tanya Plibersek · McPhillamys Gold Project · Blayney · New South Wales
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