Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection (Bellwood Sacred Site) Emergency Declaration 2018

I, Melissa Price, Minister for the Environment, make the following declaration under section 9(1) of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984.

Dated 18 November 2018

Melissa Price

Minister for the Environment

Part 1—Preliminary matters

1  Name

  This instrument is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection (Bellwood Sacred Site) Emergency Declaration 2018.

2  Commencement

  This instrument commences on the day after registration.

3  Authority

  This instrument is made under section 9 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984.

4  Definitions

  In this instrument:

Act means the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984.

specified area means the area described in section 5 of this instrument.

Note: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, including the following:

(a) Aboriginal;

(b)  area; and

(c)  significant Aboriginal area.

Part 2—Emergency declaration to preserve and protect a significant Aboriginal area

5  Specified area

For the purpose of subsection 9(1) of the Act, the specified area to which this declaration applies is the area known as ‘Bellwood Sacred Site’ in Nambucca Heads in New South Wales, found at the coordinates specified in the map below.

6  Declaration

(1) The specified area is declared under section 9 of the Act to be preserved and protected from injury or desecration in the manner specified in subsection (2).

(2) A person must not:

 (a) undertake any action that will, or is likely to, adversely affect the use or significance of the specified area in accordance with Aboriginal tradition.

 (b) conduct any clearing activities, preliminary activites associated with clearing, or any other act that will, or is likely to, injure or desecrate the specified area.

Note: Under subsection 22(1) of the Act, a person commits an offence if the person engages in conduct that contravenes a provision of a declaration made under Part II of the Act in relation to a significant Aboriginal area.

Penalty:

                     (a)  if the person is a natural person—imprisonment for 5 years or 100 penalty units, or both; or

                     (b)  if the person is a body corporate—500 penalty units.

7  Period of effect

This instrument has effect for 30 days beginning on the date this instrument commences.

8  Repeal

  This instrument is repealed the day after the end of the period specified in section 7 of this instrument.