Uniting Communities welcomes the opportunity to provide comment to the Department of State Development, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, on the draft South Australia Aboriginal Heritage Regulations 2016, as released in October 2016.

This submission complements earlier commentary provided by the Anangu Lands Paper Tracker on the amendments to the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988.

We emphasise concerns regarding the deficits in the consultation process and the resultant amendments to the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 and subsequent draft Regulations, and which are likely to have continuing negative repercussions for the protection of Aboriginal heritage in South Australia. The key focus of this submission is on the purported devolution of agreement-making, the resourcing of Heritage Groups and their organisations, and the ultimate locus of control and decision-making with regard to heritage protection.