Page 3607 - Week 10 - Thursday, 19 September 2019
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Firstly, I would like to state that I recognise the importance of Aboriginal scar trees to our region’s heritage and I share the significant disappointment in the loss of these two important trees. People are often surprised to learn that the ACT is rich in natural and cultural heritage. There is a perception that we are a relatively young city and do not have many heritage places or objects. This is far from the case.
Aboriginal occupation of the area has left a rich legacy spanning more than 20,000 years. There are many signs of this occupation throughout the natural and built environment, including scar trees, rock shelters and artefact scatters. Aboriginal scar or culturally modified trees are what is left behind in the skilful process of harvesting bark from a tree. The bark has many uses, such as coolamons, transporting food, water and even babies as well as shields for protection against attack.
Scar trees provide valuable clues about Aboriginal people’s use of perishable materials. They tell us where Aboriginal people lived and help us find other nearby types of archaeological sites, such as scatters of stone tools. They provide Aboriginal people with an important connection to their culture and past.
The ACT government takes the destruction of heritage places and objects very seriously, and when these two issues were reported immediate site visits were conducted and investigations ensued. However, it is important to note that major damage or total destruction of heritage places and objects is rare in the ACT and is usually the result of unexpected events such as fire. We all remember, of course, the 2003 bushfires where we lost many of our early stockman huts as well as the devastating fire at the Canberra Services Club in 2011. Nonetheless, destruction of any heritage place or object is a live risk whether these are natural, built, or Aboriginal.
The government takes several measures to minimise the risk of destruction to our heritage places and objects. These include: making information publicly available on the ACT Heritage Register; heritage interpretation such as the Canberra Tracks signage; and, most importantly, having statutory planning approval processes in force under a range of legislation.
Where new developments are proposed information on Aboriginal scar trees is available and accessed across government, contractors, developers and the broader community. However, there are rare occasions where even these mitigation measures are not enough, such as in the case of natural disasters or general reckless or negligent conduct. The recent incidents of the unauthorised removal of two Aboriginal scar trees have highlighted the need to strengthen heritage compliance tools. This work is currently being progressed and I will provide further detail when I have provided an overview of the investigations into the removal of the two Aboriginal scar trees.
I note that in accordance with provisions of the Information Privacy Act 2014 the ACT government is not able to disclose detailed information on individual compliance matters. However, I can speak broadly to the matters.
The removal of MSYB1 at a school in Wanniassa was reported in April 2017 and investigated by Access Canberra. The investigation concluded that a genuine mistake
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