Aboriginal cultural heritage

We wish to acknowledge the Ngandowal and Minyungbal speaking people of the Bundjalung Country, in particular the Goodjinburra, Tul-gi-gin and Moorung - Moobah clans, as being the traditional owners and custodians of the land and waters within the Tweed Shire boundaries. We also acknowledge and respect the Tweed Aboriginal community's right to speak for its Country and to care for its traditional Country in accordance with its lore, customs and traditions.

The Tweed has a long and rich Aboriginal cultural history. It is estimated that Aboriginal people have inhabited the Tweed for at least 40,000 years, based on evidence and current knowledge.

This long history of settlement has naturally resulted in both tangible and intangible Aboriginal cultural heritage within the landscape. The protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage is [currently] managed through the National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974.

Draft stand-alone Aboriginal cultural heritage legislation and a draft bill was released for public exhibition late 2017 - early 2018 by the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH).

Read more about Aboriginal cultural heritage on the Tweed Regional Museum website.

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Plan (ACHMP)

With the aims of acknowledging and respecting Aboriginal cultural heritage (ACH) and improving the understanding of ACH, Tweed Shire Council adopted the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Plan 2018 (ACHMP)(PDF, 14MB) on 5 July 2018.

The ACHMP builds on the current legislative framework of the National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974 and the draft standalone Aboriginal cultural heritage legislation and bill, providing clear practices and processes to assist the understanding of the sensitivity and occurrence of Aboriginal cultural heritage.

It provides pathways for ensuring that individuals have the right tools and information at their disposal to meet their obligations under the law and to enable cultural heritage to be properly assessed and managed.

The ACHMP is supported by a thematic history and incorporates a written management plan and shire-wide mapping of Aboriginal place of heritage significance (known cultural heritage) and predictive aboriginal cultural heritage.

For further information contact Council’s Strategic Planning and Urban Design Unit on 02 6670 2400.

State Legislation and Guidelines

The National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NPW Act), administered by the Office of NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH), is the primary legislation for the protection of some aspects of Aboriginal cultural heritage in New South Wales. Other relevant legislation is the NSW Heritage Act, 1977 and the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979.

The OEH provides a range of guidelines to assist proponents and councils meet their legislative requirements, as follows:

• Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Consultation Requirements for Proponents 2010 (PDF)
• Guide to Determining and Issuing Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permits(PDF, 477KB)
• Code of Practice for Archaeological Investigation of Aboriginal Objects in NSW
• Due Diligence Code of Practice for the Protection of Aboriginal Objects in NSW
• Guide to Investigating, Assessing & Reporting on Aboriginal Cultural Heritage in NSW
• Apply for an Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit