LGANT not consulted on Sacred Site Act review as member pays $40k for shade sail certificate

The NT local government association has revealed the staggering amount it cost to get a shade sail certified under the current Sacred Sites Act – but say they haven’t been approached for consultation about it.

Kings Canyon is a canyon in the Northern Territory of Australia located at the western end of the George Gill Range within Watarrka National Park.The walls of Kings Canyon are over 100 metres high, with Kings Creek at the bottom. Part of the gorge is a sacred Aboriginal site and visitors are discouraged from leaving the walking tracks. Picture: Tourism NT/Matt Cherubino

A $40k fee for a certificate to install a shade sail has the Territory’s local government association open to consultation around a review on the NT Sacred Site Act – but they say they haven’t been approached yet.

With planning, lands, and environment minister Josh Burgoyne set to bring amendments to the 1989 NT Sacred Sites Act to parliament this week, Local Government Association NT president Kon Vatskalis said the association was “yet to be approached about the review”.

Local Government Association NT president Kon Vatskalis. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“(The association) would welcome consultation as our members have expressed concerns about the time frames and costs of applying for certificates (under the current Act),” he said.

“Recent examples provided by our members include a four-month time frame to approve repairs on an existing pathway, and a $40,000 charge to apply for a certificate for shade shelters in a cemetery. These costs make some projects unviable.”

An Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority spokesperson said there are “more than 13,700 documented sacred sites on record”.

“This does not represent a definitive list of all sacred sites in the Northern Territory, and only reflects sites currently known to the Authority,” they said.

“Under the Act, all Aboriginal sacred sites are protected, whether or not they have been previously recorded.”

Central Land Council chair Warren Williams. Picture: Central Land Council

Central Land Council chair Warren Williams has called for the CLP government to “stop this rushed process”.

“Sacred sites belong to us, not the government, and it should not change the law protecting our sites without consulting traditional owners and native title holders,” Mr Williams said.

“The government needs to stop this rushed process and take time to consult with the people whose culture will be affected by it.”

When announcing the amendments being presented to parliament, Mr Burgoyne said “proposed amendments will include the transferability of authority certificates issued by the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority, which will ensure that processes do not need to be unnecessarily repeated and cause delays to development”.

“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.

Originally published as LGANT not consulted on Sacred Site Act review as member pays $40k for shade sail certificate