Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

This is not my first speech, but I rise to make a contribution to the tabling of the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia's final report in this inquiry, A way forward. I wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands I'm on, the Ngambri and Ngunawal people, and traditional owners all over the country. I pay my respects to the elders past and present, and to their continued practice of caring for country and culture.

This was a significant inquiry that shone light on the many ways in which First Nations cultural heritage is destroyed, and sometimes how that is even encouraged in this country. While Juukan Gorge was the wake-up call for many Australians, the legal and wilful destruction of cultural heritage is not new for First Nations people. As the final report clearly shows, First Nations people across WA have been experiencing the impact of inadequate legislation for decades—