❓ This parliamentary Question on Notice from Mr Basil Zempilas scrutinises the WA government's 2023 commitment to State-led Aboriginal cultural heritage surveys, seeking detailed information on their implementation, funding, partnerships, staffing, timelines, application outcomes, and cost-effectiveness.
⏳ Awaiting AnswerQoN 2527Legislative Assembly
Asked
9 June 2026
Member
Portfolio
Planning and Lands; Housing and Works; Health Infrastructure
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to your 2023 commitment to undertake State-led Aboriginal cultural heritage surveys of “high priority areas” over a 10-year period and I ask:
(a) How many of these have been undertaken to date by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH);
(b) What criteria were used to determine which areas would be classified as “high priority”;
(c) How many high priority areas have been identified to date, and can the Minister provide a breakdown by region:
(i) To satisfy the requirement of ensuring equity across the State, what is the numerical breakdown of actual funded surveys by geographical region to date;
(d) How much funding has already been expended on State-led Aboriginal heritage surveys since the announcement was made in 2023;
(e) How many Aboriginal corporations, traditional owner groups or prescribed bodies corporate have formally partnered with the State in conducting these surveys;
(f) To date how many additional departmental staff, anthropologists, archaeologists or consultants have been engaged to support delivery of the survey initiative;
(g) Given the Survey Program guidelines state that surveys 'cannot be guaranteed to be undertaken within a specific timeframe,' what is the current median duration (in days) from the initial automated confirmation of receipt to the finalisation of a survey report;
(h) Of the total applications received via the ACHknowledge portal, what percentage have been rejected specifically because the Department determined, after reviewing existing reports, that a new survey was "not required";
(i) How many applications have been denied because a business exceeded the quantitative thresholds of $50 million in consolidated revenue, $25 million in gross assets, or 100 employees:
(i) Are these 2024-era thresholds still considered appropriate by the Department in the 2026 economic conditions;
(j) Since value for money is a core assessment factor, what is the average cost to the taxpayer for a Program 1 "Site identification survey" versus a Program 2 "Improving the Register" survey; and
(k) Given that the program relies on the availability of Aboriginal survey participants, what is the total amount of direct financial compensation paid to these participants as of 2026, and how does this compare to the fees paid to qualified heritage professionals
?
Answered on
(a) How many of these have been undertaken to date by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH);
(b) What criteria were used to determine which areas would be classified as “high priority”;
(c) How many high priority areas have been identified to date, and can the Minister provide a breakdown by region:
(i) To satisfy the requirement of ensuring equity across the State, what is the numerical breakdown of actual funded surveys by geographical region to date;
(d) How much funding has already been expended on State-led Aboriginal heritage surveys since the announcement was made in 2023;
(e) How many Aboriginal corporations, traditional owner groups or prescribed bodies corporate have formally partnered with the State in conducting these surveys;
(f) To date how many additional departmental staff, anthropologists, archaeologists or consultants have been engaged to support delivery of the survey initiative;
(g) Given the Survey Program guidelines state that surveys 'cannot be guaranteed to be undertaken within a specific timeframe,' what is the current median duration (in days) from the initial automated confirmation of receipt to the finalisation of a survey report;
(h) Of the total applications received via the ACHknowledge portal, what percentage have been rejected specifically because the Department determined, after reviewing existing reports, that a new survey was "not required";
(i) How many applications have been denied because a business exceeded the quantitative thresholds of $50 million in consolidated revenue, $25 million in gross assets, or 100 employees:
(i) Are these 2024-era thresholds still considered appropriate by the Department in the 2026 economic conditions;
(j) Since value for money is a core assessment factor, what is the average cost to the taxpayer for a Program 1 "Site identification survey" versus a Program 2 "Improving the Register" survey; and
(k) Given that the program relies on the availability of Aboriginal survey participants, what is the total amount of direct financial compensation paid to these participants as of 2026, and how does this compare to the fees paid to qualified heritage professionals
?
Answered on
AnswerView source ↗
⏳
This question is awaiting a response from the Minister.
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