Almost 30,000 people have signed a petition calling on the West Australian government to delay the rollout of the state’s Indigenous heritage protection laws.
The opposition says the implementation of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act has been “shambolic”, leading to uncertainty and anxiety in the community.
Liberal planning spokesman Neil Thomson called on the Labor government to delay the rollout of the laws for at least six months.
“People are worried about their future and fear being bound up in red tape which could require permits for things such as putting a new fence in, digging a dam or removing noxious vegetation,” he said on Wednesday, ahead of the petition being tabled in parliament.
The Liberal and Nationals alliance said the government needed to provide more information to those affected by the laws about their obligations.
“Farmers, pastoralists, and companies that provide services such as plumbing and civil contracting are all trying to work out the implications, as are hobby farmers around the metropolitan area that are deeply concerned about what they will be allowed to do on their land without a permit,” Thomson said.
Delaying the implementation, which is scheduled for July 1, would also allow time for an approvals system to be set up and for local Aboriginal cultural heritage advisory services to be established, he said.
The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage has said that under the new laws, landholders will need to ensure an Indigenous cultural heritage survey has been completed before building infrastructure such as paddocks and dams.
Existing infrastructure, such as a fence with footings no deeper than 50 centimetres, can be replaced without department approval.
Landowners who want to carry out work on land will need to pay for a heritage survey.
Work on residential lots is unlikely to require approval, but land used for commercial purposes more than likely will.
Land that is less than 1,100sq m in size is exempt from the legislation requirements.
The Cook government has previously ruled out delaying the rollout date of the laws.
