After deriding Pesutto, Allan confirms her government is also examining Indigenous planning approvals

The Victorian government is examining the role of traditional owners in planning decisions as part of its push to increase housing, at the same time as it has blasted the opposition over its proposal to tighten rules around Indigenous peoples’ involvement in the system.

As the state opposition faced fresh questions about the formulation of its policy announced on the weekend, Premier Jacinta Allan on Tuesday said the government was examining all third-party approval processes as part of its housing statement, including cultural heritage.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan criticised the opposition’s proposal on cultural heritage permits.Credit: Eamon Gallagher

Cultural heritage permits and management plans are needed for activities that could disturb or harm sites important to Aboriginal communities. Those permits and plans are evaluated by designated traditional owners known as Registered Aboriginal Parties.

“I acknowledge that the planning process and all elements of the planning process need to be examined as to how we can improve those processes to make good decisions, faster,” she said.

“Cultural heritage is one of a number of third-party approval processes that some projects, not all projects, are required to go through.”

Opposition Leader John Pesutto announced on Sunday at the Liberal Party state council that a Coalition government would establish tighter set time frames and costs for cultural heritage assessment sparking accusations of dog-whistling from former leaders of prominent Indigenous organisations.

At the same time as confirming she had discussed changes to cultural heritage, amongst other matters, with the co-chairs of the First Peoples’ Assembly, Allan attacked Pesutto over his proposals.

She said the government was looking across the planning system including how to leverage its land and speed up decisions from councils.

“The Liberal Party aren’t focused on any of that. They’re just focused on nasty racial division,” she said.

Opposition Planning spokesman James Newbury accused Allan of being “two-faced” on the issue.

“[Allan] has been caught attacking the coalition for releasing a plan to cut red tape so that more homes can be built faster, whilst her own government is conducting a review into the broken cultural heritage system,” he said.

Pesutto on Sunday also conceded he had not discussed the policy with the Indigenous community prior to its release, saying Nationals Leader Peter Walsh, who also hold the Aboriginal Affairs portfolio, “speaks with them regularly”.

Walsh then released a statement to Sky News saying he had been consulted only days before the policy was unveiled.

Asked whether he had appropriately consulted with Walsh, Pesutto said he would not discuss matters raised in shadow cabinet and that the new policy had unanimous support.

Allan claimed Pesutto had developed the policy without input from his Coalition partner and in question time asked when Pesutto would apologise to Walsh.

Walsh declined to comment when contacted by The Age.

The First Peoples’ Assembly urged engagement from both sides of politics.

“When it comes to exploring potential changes to Victoria’s Aboriginal Heritage laws, both the government and opposition should be engaging with Traditional Owners and Registered Aboriginal Parties,” the assembly posted to social media.