Further Native Title & Indigenous Cultural Heritage Law - Victoria and the Commonwealth, Naarm (Melbourne)

About:

Building on the foundation developed in our Native Title and Indigenous Cultural Heritage Law – Professional Development Seminar, this program comprises two further components each specific to the topics of Native Title and cultural heritage operations.

Designed for those working in the area, including heritage advisors, professionals working in planning, resources, environmental regulation or community policy areas, lawyers (providing 3 CPD points per component subject to jurisdictional requirements) and those interested in Native Title & Cultural Heritage more generally; these seminars provide an in-depth understanding of specific issues surrounding the operation of Native Title & key concepts in the management of tangible and intangible Indigenous Cultural Heritage under both Victorian and Commonwealth Law.

Both seminars (9:00am - 12:30pm, 1.00pm – 4.30pm) will be held on Thursday 26 June 2025 in Naarm at the Woodward Conference Centre (10th Floor, University of Melbourne Law Building, Carlton, VIC, 3053).

Components can be booked as a full-day activity or individually as half-day seminars and include resource materials & catering.

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Morning Session – Native Title & Cultural Heritage Management in Victoria

The Native Title & Cultural Heritage Management in Victoria component digs further into specific aspects of Native Title and Aboriginal cultural heritage management processes in Victoria.

The first half examines the legislative environment regarding recognition of Traditional Owner rights in Victoria - including the Native Title Act 1993 and the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010 - and provides a closer look at at some of the key issues facing those whose work involves Native Title Future Acts today. Examples include: The offshore Native Title regime and associated legislation, lineal infrastructure projects as Future Acts, and Indigenous Land Use Agreements in operation; Body Corporate and Area Agreements.

The second half discusses in detail the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 and Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Regulations 2018. This will include key concepts relevant to a determination of the requirements for a Cultural Heritage Management Plan such as “significant ground disturbance” and “areas of cultural heritage sensitivity”.

Agenda:

9.00 Session 1 – Native Title in Victoria

10.30 Morning Tea

10.45 Session 2 – Indigenous Cultural Heritage Management

12.30 Finish

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Afternoon Session – Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage under Commonwealth Law

The Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage under Commonwealth Law component moves beyond Victoria and provides an in-depth examination of the circumstances in which Indigenous Cultural Heritage is relevant to decisions under Commonwealth legislation including the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC), Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Environment) Regulations 2009, Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021 and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984.

It looks at how the definitions of both tangible and intangible Indigenous Cultural Heritage are used in this legislation and how these definitions are relevant to Cultural Heritage management in Australia today. This component will also discuss potential future developments of these regimes following the outcome of the Federal Election in May.

Agenda:

1.00 Session 1 – Cultural Heritage under Commonwealth law

2.45 Morning Tea

3.00 Session 2 – Understanding Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage

4.30 Finish

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Your Trainer   

Dr Matthew Storey is the Legal Principal & Director of Storey & Ward Lawyers. He has worked with and for Traditional Owners in the areas of native title and land rights, cultural heritage, business development and natural resource management for over 35 years.

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Native Title & Cultural Heritage Law and Further Native Title & Cultural Heritage Law can be booked as a two-day intensive masterclass upon request for $2,300 pp. Please contact training@storeyward.com.au for more information or to check availability