Indigenous group demands $2.5m from the federal government before WA tree planting events

More WA tree planting events cancelled amid claims a Perth-based Indigenous corporation is withholding approvals until it receives $2.5m in compensation.

Aboriginal Affairs minister Tony Buti says the stand-off has nothing to do with the new cultural heritage laws.

More tree planting events in WA were cancelled at the weekend due to claims by a peak environmental body that a Perth-based Indigenous corporation is withholding approvals until $2.5m in compensation is received.

It is the second time in as many weeks community groups and Indigenous representatives have clashed since the updated Aboriginal cultural heritage laws came into effect on July 1.

The South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare had organised about 120 volunteers to plant more than 5000 seedlings around the south eastern suburbs of Canning and Gosnells before it was called off.

Representatives and city mayors are now calling for guidance from the state government after learning about the alleged demands from Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation chief executive David Collard.

Mr Collard reportedly told the various land care groups, that have long maintained and regenerated patches of land along the Canning River, they would not be permitted to go ahead with the tree planting due to ongoing disputes with the indigenous group and WA government.

The Canning River is a recognised site of Aboriginal cultural significance in the Perth region.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Tony Buti said the issues had “nothing to do with” WA’s “modernised laws”. Instead the stand off is reportedly over the WAC’s request for a $2.5m portion of the federal government’s $10m commitment to restore the Canning waterways.

Shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie – who is the federal member for Canning – called for Premier Roger Cook to scrap the laws.

“The Aboriginal cultural heritage laws are only two weeks old and already an Indigenous corporation is using them to demand millions of dollars,” Mr Hastie said on Sunday.

It follows WA Opposition Leader Shane Love vowing to overturn the Act and rewrite new legislation if there is a change of government at the next WA election, due in 2025.

“Make no mistake, the WA National Party understands the value of Aboriginal cultural heritage, but what we have is an unworkable situation, which is throwing thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars of costs, which are not necessary, onto private industry private landowners, and making life very difficult for small business, making life almost impossible for farmers to know what they can do next,” Mr Love told the WA Nationals state conference on Saturday.

He said the Nationals primary concern with the Act is that claims of cultural significance from an Aboriginal entity were not contestable with an independent third party.

Approved Indigenous representatives who will be empowered to approve or deny plans and projects, like tree planting, are yet to be appointed by the government.

The WA Liberals have also adopted the same policy position and confirmed last week the party will also scrap the laws.

Mr Cook fired back calling the opposition parties “irrelevant” and requested they “butt out” of the debate.

“They are desperate and desperately clinging to any issue they can find to give them relevance.

“Everyone knows that they are irrelevant and everyone knows that they voted for this legislation in the first place.”

The legislation was one of the first bills put to parliament following Labor’s historic election win in 2021, which reduced the Liberals to just two members in the lower house.

Opposition MPs were briefed just two days before the legislation was tabled to the parliament.