Upper River Murray Gorge Research Project

*Consultation outcome announced below

Are you a Traditional Owner or Aboriginal party with an interest in the Riverland? 

What's being decided?

We want to hear from you about a research proposal to study Aboriginal rock art, rockshelters and other archaeological sites along the River Murray, and collect archaeological samples for scientific analyses (Research Project). 

Your views will help the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (the Minister) decide whether to authorise potential damage, disturbance or interference with Aboriginal heritage, and the removal of Aboriginal objects/materials from the state, to assist the Research Project. 

Background

The Minister, who is responsible for the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 (SA) (Act), has received an application for authorisations under the Act from Professor Amy Roberts of Flinders University (Applicant). 

The Applicant seeks to study Aboriginal rock art, rockshelters and other archaeological sites along the River Murray, and collect archaeological samples for scientific analyses. The Research Project would be undertaken in five (5) proposed research zones (Application Areas) located between Barmera and Morgan on the River Murray, approximately 140 to 180 km northeast of Adelaide. Each of these Application Areas is known to contain Aboriginal sites, objects and/or remains. 

The Research Project would be undertaken as a collaborative project between Flinders University and the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region through the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC.

For further information about this application, please refer to Aboriginal Affairs Reconciliation’s (AAR’s) current applications for authorisation.

Under the Act, authorisations under sections 21 and 23 are required to excavate, uncover, damage, disturb and/or interfere with Aboriginal sites, objects and/or ancestral remains (heritage). Authorisation is also required under section 29(1)(b) of the Act to remove an Aboriginal object from the state, e.g. for scientific analysis.

Prior to considering whether to grant the authorisations sought, section 13 of the Act requires the Minister to consult with the Committee, Traditional Owners (for the Application Areas) and any other Aboriginal people or organisations that he considers may have an interest in this matter. 

Get involved

If you are a Traditional Owner or an Aboriginal party with an interest in the Application Areas, please read the Consultation Information Pack and the Consultation Notice and consider the following three questions: 

1. Should the authorisations sought be granted to the Applicant? Why or why not? 
2. If the authorisations are granted, what conditions, if any, should be imposed on them? 
3. Are there any other matters that the Minister should be aware of when considering the application? 

 If you wish to learn more, lodge a submission and/or be notified of the Minister’s decision in this matter, please: 

• Email your feedback to AAR.CIR@sa.gov.au
• Post your feedback to: 

 Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, 

 Attorney-General’s Department

 GPO Box 464, ADELAIDE SA 5001

• Complete the submission form

See the Consultation Information Pack for further details on how to lodge a verbal or written submission. 

Submissions must be received by AAR by Thursday 24 November 2022. 

What are the next steps?

Unless otherwise requested, all submissions would be forwarded to the Applicant for comment. 

Once the public consultation period has closed, all consultation feedback, including any responses provided by the Applicant to submissions received, will be forwarded to the Committee for its review. In light of that information, the Committee’s own advice about the Research Project will be sought. 

AAR will then collate all feedback from the Committee and consultees with its own recommendations and provide these to the Minister with a brief to assist him make his final decision about the Application.

**UPDATE: On 10 April 2023, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs granted authorisations under sections 21, 23 and 29(1)(b) of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 (SA) to the Applicant. Traditional Owners and other interested Aboriginal parties are requested to contact Senior Project Officer (Heritage), Ms Tess Mitsoulis on (08) 8303 0721 or tess.mitsoulis@sa.gov.au for further information.