Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the New Draft Tasmanian Aboriginal Heritage
Legislation which was released here for public consultation between the 30 March – 6 July 2026.

The State Government released the draft Aboriginal Heritage Bill 2026 for public consultation to replace the woefully outdated Aboriginal Heritage Act 1975.

As stated by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, 223 years ago, Aboriginal people in Lutruwita /
Tasmania stopped having ownership and control of their own cultural heritage. Rock carvings, middens, burial places, cultural landscapes, stories, objects and sacred places are not just “heritage items”. They are living connections between Country, Ancestors, Community, identity and future generations.

We share the concerns of many in the community, including the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and the Environmental Defenders Office, that the Bill is seriously flawed and has not been developed in conjunction with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community. The central problem with the Bill is that it does not return Aboriginal heritage to Aboriginal ownership and control.

It is noted that international law and Australian best practice standards require the Tasmanian
Aboriginal Community is the ultimate decision-maker for the protection and management of their cultural heritage. We thus call on the Tasmanian Government to urgently co-design a process with Tasmanian Aboriginal people and their chosen representative organisations to draft a new Aboriginal heritage law.

The Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania (PMAT) aims to protect Lutruwita/Tasmania’s communities, nature, cultural heritage and democracy through better planning.

Download to read full submission.