The West Australian government has scrapped the state’s controversial Aboriginal cultural heritage laws and promised a simpler system, following a strong backlash from landowners and concerns in Canberra that the application of the laws was killing support for the Indigenous Voice to parliament.

Claiming it was the response of a “government that listens”, WA Premier Roger Cook said the laws would revert to the original 1972 laws with “simple and effective amendments to ensure we don’t have another Juukan Gorge situation”.