Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972
Superseded law in Western Australia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (AHA) is a law in the state of Western Australia governing the protection of Aboriginal cultural sites,[1] which was superseded by the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 (ACH Act[2]) on 1 July 2023.[3]
The AHA protected all Aboriginal heritage sites in Western Australia, whether or not they were registered with the Department of Planning, Lands, and Heritage. The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs of WA had to provide approval for any activity which would negatively impact Aboriginal heritage sites. Under the AHA, Aboriginal sites of outstanding importance could be declared Protected Areas. The AHA also provided protection for Aboriginal objects.[1][4]