Regional Forest Agreement - The RFA and Indigenous Issues

The forests of the South-West have been the home of Noongar people for tens of thousands of years. The Noongar Action Group was formed in 1996 to ensure that Aboriginal heritage and consultation issues were integral to the development of the agreement.

In their submission to the Commonwealth and State Governments, the Noongar Action Group made 10 recommendations, including calls for ongoing formal consultation, protection of old-growth forests, full access to the forests, training and employment opportunities; respect for Noongar Elders in the RFA process, and a means to develop Noongar aspirations.

The RFA includes commitments by the WA Government to:

• develop a formal consultation process with Aboriginal people about policy and procedures for the protection of Aboriginal heritage values on CALM-managed lands;
• consult with Aboriginal people on mechanisms to enable more effective involvement of Aboriginal people in the protection of culturally significant sites and the provision of training and employment opportunities;
• protect Aboriginal sites in accordance with the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA) and develop protocols for, and linking, the CALM geographic information system with information held by Aboriginal Affairs Department (AAD);
• establish CALM procedures and protocols, in consultation with AAD and Aboriginal people, and include relevant Aboriginal heritage expertise in CALM, to identify early and protect Aboriginal sites as identified in the Act;
• introduce amendments to the CALM Act to permit Aboriginal people to undertake traditional and cultural activities including hunting, gathering and ceremonies on State forests and public land;
• ensure, in consultation with Aboriginal people, that Aboriginal heritage values, especially those associated with old-growth forest, are recognised and managed in culturally appropriate ways;
• facilitate access to and use of CALM-managed forests by Noongars for culturally important activities;
• faciltiate cross cultural awareness and interpretive activities to inform and educate the wider community about Noongar values and links to the South-West forest region;
• comply with the Commonwealth Native Title Act 1993; and
• monitor field activities in relation to the protection of Aboriginal sites.

Dombakup Block south of Pemberton will be added to the D'Entrecasteaux National Park to protect Aboriginal heritage values.