In Labor’s first Federal Budget delivered in nine years, the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance (FNHPA) responds to the allocation of new funding totalling $14.7 million, further strengthening the government’s commitment to strengthening protections around Australia’s ancient and living Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage.
Today the Ministers office advised this would be shared with specific measures as follows:
– 6 million to support First Nations people working on country to identify, assess, preserve and protect cultural sites.
– 2 million to advance Murujuga in the Pilbara Western Australia region known for its numerous Aboriginal petroglyphs and wildlife viewing, to world heritage
– 500k to advance Cape York World Heritage listing – located in northernmost point of the Australian continent, in the state of Queensland
– 500k to advance Flinders Ranges- the mountain region in South Australia – to world heritage listing
The remaining proportion has been earmarked for other built heritage projects.
Says Kado Muir, Co-Chair of FNHPA, Ngalia Cultural and Community Leader and Chair of National Native Title Council says ” We (FNHPA) have developed a strong working relationship with the Albanese Government, particularly through our partnership with the Hon Minister Tanya Plibersek in co-designing stand-alone cultural heritage legislation.
This budget helps respond to the destruction of Juukan Gorge by Rio Tinto and we welcome the allocation of funding to these important First Nation cultural heritage projects.”
The FNHPA acknowledges the funding will also allow for further development of national cultural heritage standards, that ensure a consistent and best practice approach to cultural heritage protections, enshrined in self-determination and embedded in free prior and informed consent.
For all media enquiries please contact Sarah Easson on NEW EMAIL ADDRESS:
E: sarah.easson@nntc.com.au M: 0419 228 642