[5][6][7][8] The legislation followed a government inquiry into the destruction of an ancient heritage site, Juukan Gorge, by mining company Rio Tinto in May 2020.
[1] The act sought to give traditional owners increased influence in decisions over Aboriginal heritage management.
[11] Local Aboriginal cultural-heritage, native-title and other relevant bodies would play a critical role in managing and surveying heritage locations.
[12] Owing to the legislation's complexity, education workshops were held by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, attended by hundreds of people.
Many were from users of the land looking for clarification about what activities were permitted under the new act, others wanted general advice, or technical assistance with the online service.