I am cosponsoring a bill by Reverend the Honourable Fred Nile to create a First Nations controlled heritage council that will work with other First Nations people and groups to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage.

NSW is the only state in Australia without specific laws that protect Aboriginal heritage, with protections dispersed across different acts and little involvement of First Nations people in decisions around impacts. This has led to large-scale destruction with over 1,450 permits to allow impacts on Aboriginal heritage approved since 2010 and none rejected. True reconciliation is not only about apologising for past wrongs, but also about preventing future ones from happening and will help restore Aboriginal custodianship of their cultural heritage and stop the mass destruction.

Rev. Nile has a long history of supporting First Nations people’s rights and by working together, we hope to advance reconciliation and self-determination. See the Herald report > HERE.