Election 2025: Coalition to streamline cultural heritage laws

The Coalition would take a ‘commonsense’ approach to Australia’s cultural heritage protection regime, introducing a national interest test for claims.

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price in Tamworth. Picture: James Horan

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The Coalition has unveiled plans to overhaul Australia’s cultural heritage protection regime, promising a “commonsense” approach that preserves culturally significant sites without stifling community access and economic development.

Speaking from Mt Arapiles in western Victoria – where the state Labor government plans to close half of the climbing routes under cultural and environmental protection laws – opposition Indigenous Australians spokes­woman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said an elected Coalition government would introduce a “national interest test” for cultural heritage claims.

Senator Nampijinpa Price said the proposed changes were aimed at preventing “frivolous and vexatious claims”, which she accused environmental groups of making to block development projects and restrict public access to ­nature.

Mount Arapiles. Picture: Jason Edwards

Under the Coalition’s plan, penalties would apply to those making false claims, fees and processing times for cultural heritage applications would be capped, and a national register of culturally significant sites would be established to streamline approvals.

Senator Nampijinpa Price also said there would be a cabinet subcommittee to scrutinise projects and applications, to avoid disasters like the destruction of the Juuk­an Gorge by Rio Tinto in 2020.

Senator Nampijinpa Price accused Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek of “dropping the ball” on promised heritage reforms, saying the government had “listened to fringe groups” rather than delivering for Indigenous Australians and local communities.

“… Our proposed changes would be to introduce a national interest test in terms of cultural heritage, because what we’ve seen is Labor basically go ahead and destroy the opportunity for projects in our country, but also seeing access to our natural environment being closed off, and it’s quite detrimental,” Senator Nampijinpa Price told Sky News. I’ve heard from climbers here in the community and it’s very heartbreaking.”

A climber at Mount Arapiles. Picture: David Geraghty

She accused the Environmental Defenders Office of “exploiting” Indigenous people by “manufacturing dreaming stories” to obstruct projects in the Northern Territory, calling it “the ultimate disrespect of Aboriginal culture” by left-wing groups.

“We want to ensure that we will deal with frivolous and vexatious claims in a way that we will apply penalties for those (claims).

“We’ve seen the Environmental Defender’s Office exploit traditional owners and Aboriginal people by manufacturing Dreaming stories.”

The Coalition’s push comes amid growing tensions over land access and heritage management, with climbers and locals in Natimuk rallying against plans to dramatically reduce climbing access at Mt Arapiles, a world-renowned climbing destination.

“They’ve (Labor) completely dropped the ball. Instead, they’ve listened to fringe groups to stop projects from going forward, and when that happens, whole communities miss out, including those Indigenous members of the community that want projects to move ahead,” Senator Nampijinpa Price said.

“We want to encourage states and territories, and we will work closely with them to adopt this sort of approach, which is common sense,” she added.