Findings of the Barnsby Report

Findings of the Barnsby Report

1. The responsible authorities do not seem to be consulting with the relevant people in order to provide Aboriginal sites with the appropriate protection.
2. The appeals process involved is not effective enough in order to maintain an efficient system within the Department.
3. Section 18 is the most contentious part of the Act, and the Department has time and again approved the majority of Section 18 applications that are sent to them, regardless of the recommendations made by the Aboriginal Cultural Materials Committee.
4. The ACMC has a complicated job, which is complicated further by its lack of membership.
5. The Site Recording Forms used by the ACMC are no longer effective, as they can actually inhibit the registration of Aboriginal sites.
6. Problems within the Department have been shown to come down to Ministerial discretion, as well as the staff and their possible lack of relevant qualifications.
7. The DAA does not effectively monitor or enforce the Act.
8. The use of the 'Special Defence of Lack of Knowledge' can be reduced with increased accessibility to the Act's Due Diligence Guidelines.