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Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage management plan (CHMP)

A plan required under the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 (Qld) when a proposed activity involves a high risk of harm to Aboriginal cultural heritage. Must be agreed between the proponent and the relevant Aboriginal party.

Definition

A plan required under the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 (Qld) when a proposed activity involves a high risk of harm to Aboriginal cultural heritage. Must be agreed between the proponent and the relevant Aboriginal party.

A Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) is a plan prepared under the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 (Qld) (ACHA) that sets out how a proposed activity will be managed to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage. A CHMP is required when the proposed activity involves a high risk of harm to cultural heritage and is not covered by a less formal agreement or duty of care assessment. The plan must be negotiated between the proponent and the relevant Aboriginal party. In a determined native title area, the relevant PBC is typically the Aboriginal party. The CHMP process gives Traditional Owners and PBCs a meaningful role in determining how activities affecting their cultural heritage are conducted. The ACHA imposes a duty of care on all persons carrying out activities to take all reasonable and practicable measures to avoid harm to Aboriginal cultural heritage, separate from and in addition to the CHMP requirement.

Plain-language context

What this means in practice

Native title law uses a specialist vocabulary. Understanding what a term means in its legal context helps Traditional Owner groups, PBCs and community members follow their matter, and ask better questions of their lawyer.

If the definition above raises a question specific to your claim, compensation matter or PBC, David Saylor is available to discuss it directly.