Public Exhibition – Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Study

2 September 2021

Hawkesbury City Council is inviting community members to view and comment on Council’s Draft Hawkesbury Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Study, which is on public exhibition on Council’s online community engagement site yourhawkesbury-yoursay.com.au until Friday, 1 October 2021.

The Study has been developed in consultation with the Aboriginal community and provides the following outcomes:

1. Comprehensive assessment and mapping of the historic known and unknown Aboriginal archaeological sites and relics in consultation with the Aboriginal community to build a complete picture of the cultural landscape of the Hawkesbury.

2. Comprehensive assessment and mapping of the historic and contemporary Aboriginal cultural heritage values in conjunction with local communities to complement the existing traditional and archaeological values in order to build a more complete picture of the cultural landscape of the study area.

3. Integrating Aboriginal cultural heritage into land use planning and Environmental Impact Assessment.

4. Establish effective mechanisms for community involvement in land use planning in the study area and a basis for communication between Government, landowners and the community about Aboriginal Heritage.

The intention of the document is to start the process of truly understanding connection to country, and to provide Council officers with the tools to recognise the potential for known and unknown sites that may be impacted through development or Council operations. The Study is a starting guide for mapping, Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHMIS) registering and to start the conversation with local elders first with respect to potential sites.

The Draft Hawkesbury Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Study can be viewed at yourhawkesbury-yoursay.com.au

Council will receive submissions in writing via yourhawkesbury-yoursay.com.au or addressed to the General Manager, by mail to Hawkesbury City Council, PO Box 146 Windsor NSW 2756, or email to council@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au received up to close of business Friday, 1 October 2021.

Should you lodge a submission, it will be considered, along with any other submissions received and may be included in a Council meeting business paper. Your submission, including any personal information, is accessible by any person upon written application, subject to Council’s Privacy Management Plan and the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. The inclusion of personal information in your submission is voluntary, however, if not provided, may affect consideration of the submission. The information will ultimately be stored in Council’s records system.

Should you have any enquiries with respect to this matter, please contact Andrew Kearns, Council’s Manager Strategic Planning on 4560 4444 or attention email enquiries to council@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au with reference to the Draft Hawkesbury Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Study.