Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council

Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council
Squiresy92 including elements from Sodacan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council
Formation	2007
Precedents	Aboriginal Affairs Victoria
Type	Statutory advisory body
Headquarters	Melbourne, Victoria
Region served	Victoria, Australia
Leader title	Chair
Parent organization	Department of Premier and Cabinet (Victoria)

Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council The Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council is a statutory advisory body established to provide strategic direction on Aboriginal cultural heritage in Victoria, Australia. It advises the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, interacts with Registered Aboriginal Parties, and works alongside institutions such as Heritage Council of Victoria, Parks Victoria, National Trust of Australia (Victoria), and Museums Victoria. The Council operates within a legal environment shaped by the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Victoria), the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), and state administrative frameworks.

History

The Council was created in 2007 following reforms driven by inquiries including the Burra Charter-influenced debates and policy reviews by Aboriginal Affairs Victoria and consultations involving organisations such as the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Koorie Heritage Trust, and community groups from regions including the Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta, Boon Wurrung, Wurundjeri, and Taungurung nations. Early activity intersected with major events such as the repatriation initiatives at Museums Victoria and land rights discussions involving the High Court of Australia and native title determinations such as those affecting Gunaikurnai and Djab Wurrung country. The Council’s formation reflected commitments in documents like the Victorian Treaty Advancement Act 2018 debates and responses to cultural heritage incidents that engaged media outlets and parliamentary inquiries in Melbourne.

Role and Functions

The Council provides strategic advice to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and performs functions related to recognition of Registered Aboriginal Party applications, cultural heritage protection, and policy guidance on matters overlapping with agencies such as VicRoads, Environment Protection Authority (Victoria), and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. It issues recommendations informing statutory decisions under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Victoria) and contributes to protocols applied by bodies including the Australian Heritage Council, Victorian Electoral Commission, and statutory land managers like Crown Land administrators. The Council also contributes to statewide frameworks that intersect with national instruments such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and international conventions administered by Australian delegations.

Governance and Membership

The Council is constituted under state statute with membership appointed by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs following processes that consider representation from Traditional Owner groups including Gunditjmara People, Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council, Barengi Gadjin Land Council, Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, and Taungurung Land and Waters Council. Chairs and commissioners have included prominent figures who have engaged with organisations like the Aboriginal Victoria executive, the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register, and networks such as the Australasian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Governance arrangements require liaison with bodies such as the Victorian Ombudsman and adherence to statutory appointment provisions modelled on public sector boards like those in the Department of Premier and Cabinet (Victoria).

Legislation and Legal Framework

The Council’s work is framed by the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Victoria), which replaced earlier instruments and established mechanisms for Registered Aboriginal Parties, cultural heritage permits, and enforcement powers. Its remit intersects with Commonwealth law under instruments such as the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, native title jurisprudence from decisions like Mabo v Queensland (No 2) and Wik Peoples v Queensland, and state planning law under the Planning and Environment Act 1987 (Victoria). The Council must navigate legal interfaces with land use authorities including Local government areas of Victoria and state agencies such as VicForests and heritage bodies like the Heritage Council of Victoria.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs supported by the Council have included initiatives for cultural mapping, protection of scar trees and ceremonial sites across regions such as the Parks Victoria estate and coastal Country of the Boon Wurrung Peoples, digital heritage projects allied with Museums Victoria and the National Library of Australia, and training partnerships with TAFE institutes and universities such as La Trobe University and RMIT University. Initiatives have addressed repatriation, cultural burns coordinated with fire management agencies like the Country Fire Authority (Victoria) and Traditional Owner groups, and capacity-building for Registered Aboriginal Parties in administrative practice, heritage assessment, and engagement with infrastructure proponents including Major Road Projects Victoria.

Partnerships and Community Engagement

The Council collaborates with Registered Aboriginal Parties, Traditional Owner corporations such as Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, cultural organisations like the Koorie Heritage Trust, legal advocates including the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, research institutions including the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and universities, and land managers such as Parks Victoria and the Heritage Council of Victoria. Engagement extends to local government bodies, development proponents, and national entities including the Australian Heritage Council to balance development, conservation, and cultural recognition across Country in Victoria.

Category:Organisations serving Indigenous Australians Category:Organisations based in Melbourne