Perth Waterfront Development - Aboriginal Stakeholder Consulation

Extract from Hansard
[COUNCIL — Wednesday, 30 November 2011]
p21b-21b
Hon Lynn MacLaren; Hon Helen Morton

PERTH WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT — ABORIGINAL STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION

1112. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for Planning:

In refer to the Perth Waterfront development.

(1) Which native title representative bodies, site informants and those with cultural knowledge were
consulted about the Aboriginal heritage value of the site as required under the Aboriginal Heritage Act
and when did this consultation take place?

(2) If a report is held by the Department of Planning or by the Department of Indigenous Affairs on the
Aboriginal heritage value of the site, what is the file number?

(3) Is the minister aware of the Department of Indigenous Affairs’ submission regarding the Perth
Waterfront metropolitan region scheme amendment, which states that consulting exclusively with the
native title owners and claimants may fail to capture all of the people with cultural knowledge of the
area and result in a failure to identify all Aboriginal heritage sites?

(4) Did the Department of Planning consult with the Department of Indigenous Affairs to determine which
Aboriginal stakeholders should be consulted regarding the Aboriginal heritage value of the site?

(5) Does the Department of Planning intend to conduct any further consultation with Aboriginal
stakeholders regarding the Aboriginal heritage value of the site?

Hon HELEN MORTON replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question.

(1) To date consultation has taken place in three stages. In 2008 Aboriginal family groups were consulted
on the previous master plan design. In 2009 representatives from the South West Aboriginal Land and
Sea Council provided initial advice on the updated master plan design and Indigenous cultural centre
proposal. As the design development has progressed, a more detailed level of consultation was
undertaken in August, September and October 2011 with representatives from the South West
Aboriginal Land and Sea Council—the metro working group; combined metropolitan native title
holders; the Ballaruks People; the Bibbulmun group; the Independent Aboriginal Environment Group;
and the Bona fide Bloodline Traditional Owners of the Swan Valley.

(2) Information on the two Department of Indigenous Affairs registered sites that will be impacted by the
project—Swan River site identification 3536 and Esplanade site identification 3702—can be found on
the DIA site register.

(3) Yes. In response to advice from DIA, the Department of Planning proceeded with further consultation
in 2011, as outlined in response to (1).

(4) Yes.

(5) Yes, the Department of Planning will further engage with Aboriginal stakeholders as the project
proceeds.