HMX Yendal project Drilling program dependent upon meeting...

HMX Yendal project Drilling program dependent upon meeting requirements of the newly introduced Aboriginal CulturalHeritage legislation.

No longer the case

WA Premier Roger Cook has confirmed the state’s controversial new Aboriginal cultural heritage laws are being scrapped after just 39 days in operation.Mr Cook held a press conference in Perth on Tuesday after Labor’s caucus meeting to announce the 2021 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act would be torn up, reverting to the 50-year-old law it replaced.“As Premier, I understand that the legislation has unintentionally caused stress, confusion and division in the community. And for that, I am sorry.”Mr Cook said the new laws were introduced to strengthen protections for cultural sites after the destruction of two ancient rock shelters in the Pilbara’s Juukan Gorge by mining giant Rio Tinto in 2020.“But our response to Juukan Gorge was wrong,” he said.“We got the balance wrong and what we did hasn’t worked.”