Aboriginal organisations invited to pursue new cultural advisory roles

Aboriginal organisations that wish to take on a regulatory role advising on issues of land use and cultural heritage are invited by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs to apply for funding. Organisations selected for the new role will become part of the WA government’s Local Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Services (LACHS), an initiative borne of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act of 2021. “To fulfil their important statutory functions, LACHS will need to possess skills and expertise in consultation, negotiation, agreement making, heritage management and legislative compliance,” Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Dr Tony Buti said. The first round of funding will see grants of up to $80,000 made available to eligible organisations to prepare readiness reports demonstrating how they will fulfil the role and what they will require. The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Council will select the organisations that participate and LACHS-approved organisations will be eligible for further grants of up to $200,000 to support operational needs and delivery of the program. Further information can be found on the WA Government website.