Section 90 of the National Parks & Wildlife Act 1974 (NPW Act) requires anyone who wishes to carry out development that destroys or damages Aboriginal objects to obtain a consent to destroy the Aboriginal object from the Department of Environment & Conservation. Section 91 of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act (EPA Act) provides for such consent to be sought as part of an integrated development consent.

In practice, due to the widespread occupation of the Sydney Basin by Aboriginal people, any development which involves the disturbance of the natural ground surface has the potential to damage or destroy Aboriginal objects such as axes, grinding stones, tools and flints. A general safeguard against a breach of both the NPW Act and the EPA Act is to conduct a Cultural Heritage Site Assessment prior to the lodgement of a Development Application.

Metro employs professional, qualified and highly skilled Aboriginal Land and Conservation Management Officers. Metro has developed an accredited Conservation and Land Management training program in conjunction with NSW TAFE. We have a team of fully trained and qualified Site Conservation Officers to complete any works requested, on a small or large scale.