Riverlea Park Development
CONSULTATION OPEN UNTIL 25 JANUARY 2024 -SEE UPDATE BELOW
We want to hear from Traditional Owners, interested Aboriginal people and Aboriginal organisations about a request for authorisations under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 (SA) (Act) to enable the construction of a large residential, retail, commercial and recreational development at Riverlea Park (formerly Buckland Park), some 30 km north of Adelaide (the Project).
What's being decided?
If you are a Traditional Owner or Aboriginal party with an interest in the matter, we want to hear your views about the Project.
Your views will help the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (Minister), who is responsible for the Act, decide whether to grant the authorisations sought to enable the Project.
Background
The Minister has received an application for authorisations under sections 21, 23 and 29(1)(b) of the Act from Walker Buckland Park Developments Pty Ltd (Applicant).
Under the Act, section 21 makes it an offence to excavate land to uncover any Aboriginal site, object or ancestral remains (together, heritage) without authorisation, while section 23 makes it an offence to damage, disturb or interfere with heritage without authorisation. Section 29(1)(b) makes it an offence to remove an Aboriginal object from the state, without authorisation.
The Project would involve excavation and preparation of land across the Overall Application Areas to enable the construction of residential housing and associated infrastructure, as well as excavation works to enable storm water infrastructure installation. See the map of the Overall Applications Area featuring the Riverlea Park Masterplan data.
Get involved
Prior to considering whether to grant the authorisations sought, section 13 of the Act requires the Minister to consult with the State Aboriginal Heritage Committee (Committee), relevant Traditional Owners and any other Aboriginal people or Aboriginal organisations that he considers may have an interest in this matter.
If you are a Traditional Owner or an Aboriginal party with an interest in the matter, please read the Consultation Information Pack (amended 8 December 2023) and the Consultation Notice (amended 8 December 2023) and consider the following three questions:
- Should the authorisations sought be granted to the Applicant? Why or why not?
- If the authorisations are granted, what conditions (if any) should be imposed on them?
- What should the Minister consider when deciding this application?
If you wish to learn more, to lodge a submission and/or be notified of the Minister’s decision in this matter, please:
- Call us on (08) 8429 9401
- 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
See the Consultation Information Pack (amended 8 December 2023) or the Consultation Notice (amended 8 December 2023) for further details on how to lodge a verbal or written submission.
Consultation is open until Thursday 25 January 2024.
Aboriginal community consultation meeting
An Aboriginal community consultation meeting will be held on Thursday 11 January 2024 at Mawson Lakes Hotel, 10 Main Street, Mawson Lakes from 5.30 pm.
What are the next steps?
Unless otherwise requested, consultee submissions will be forwarded to the Applicant for comment. Once the public consultation period has closed, submissions and the Applicant’s comments about them will be forwarded to the Committee. The Committee’s own views about the application will then be sought.
AAR will collate all feedback and provide its own recommendations to the Minister within a single brief to assist him to make a final decision about the application.
If you are a Traditional Owner or Aboriginal party with an interest in this matter, please consider making a submission.
