Contents

Part I--Preliminary                                                                                                                 1

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ....................................................................... 1

2............ Commencement [see Note 1] .............................................................. 1

3............ Interpretation ...................................................................................... 1

4............ Purposes of Act .................................................................................. 3

5............ Extension to Territories ...................................................................... 3

6............ Act binds the Crown .......................................................................... 3

6A......... Application of the Criminal Code ...................................................... 3

7............ Application of other laws ................................................................... 3

8............ Application of Act ............................................................................. 4

Part II--Protection of significant Aboriginal areas and objects                    5

Division 1--Declarations by Minister                                                                  5

9............ Emergency declarations in relation to areas ........................................ 5

10.......... Other declarations in relation to areas ................................................ 5

11.......... Contents of declarations under section 9 or 10 .................................. 7

12.......... Declarations in relation to objects ...................................................... 7

13.......... Making of declarations ....................................................................... 8

14.......... Publication and commencement of declarations ................................. 9

16.......... Refusal to make declaration ................................................................ 9

Division 2--Declarations by authorized officers                                           11

17.......... Authorised officers ........................................................................... 11

18.......... Emergency declarations in relation to areas or objects ..................... 11

19.......... Notification of declarations .............................................................. 12

Division 3--Discovery and disposal of Aboriginal remains                    13

20.......... Discovery of Aboriginal remains ...................................................... 13

21.......... Disposal of Aboriginal remains ........................................................ 13

Part III--Offences, penalties and legal proceedings                                         14

22.......... Offences and penalties ...................................................................... 14

23.......... Indictable offences ............................................................................ 15

24.......... Evidence ............................................................................................ 15

25.......... Body corporate responsible for acts of servants and agents ............ 16

26.......... Injunctions ........................................................................................ 16

27.......... Proceedings in camera ...................................................................... 18

28.......... Compensation for acquisition of property ....................................... 18

29.......... Powers of courts not limited ............................................................ 18

30.......... Legal assistance ................................................................................. 18

Part IV--Miscellaneous                                                                                                     20

31.......... Delegation ......................................................................................... 20

32.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 20

Notes                                                                                                                                             21

  

Notes to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984

Note 1

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 79, 1984 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 was amended by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Regulations (Amendment). The amendments are incorporated in this compilation.

For all relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year		Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage (Interim Protection) Act 1984	79, 1984		25 June 1984	25 June 1984
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage (Interim Protection) Amendment Act 1986	83, 1986		24 June 1986	24 June 1986	--
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Amendment Act 1987	39, 1987		5 June 1987	10 July 1987 (see Gazette 1987, No. S171)	--
Statutory Instruments (Tabling and Disallowance) Legislation Amendment Act 1988	99, 1988		2 Dec 1988	2 Dec 1988	--
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989	150, 1989		27 Nov 1989	5 Mar 1990 (see Gazette 1990, No. S48)	--
Statute Law Revision Act 1996	43, 1996		25 Oct 1996	Schedule 5 (items 1-3): Royal Assent (a)	--
Public Employment (Consequential and Transitional) Amendment Act 1999	146, 1999	11 Nov 1999		Schedule 1 (items 20, 21): 5 Dec 1999 (see Gazette 1999, No. S584) (b)	--
Environment and Heritage Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001	15, 2001	22 Mar 2001		Schedule 1 (items 1-11): 24 May 2001 (c)	S. 4
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Amendment Act 2005	32, 2005	22 Mar 2005		Schedule 4 (items 1, 2): 24 Mar 2005	Sch. 4 (item 2)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Amendment Act 2006	152, 2006	7 Dec 2006		Schedule 1: 8 Dec 2006 Schedule 2: 28 May 2007 (see F2007L01489) Remainder: Royal Assent	--
Statute Law Revision Act 2008	73, 2008	3 July 2008		Schedule 1 (item 1): Royal Assent	--

(a)     The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 was amended by Schedule 5 (items 1‑3) only of the Statute Law Revision Act 1996, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to subsections (2) and (3), this Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(b)    The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 was amended by Schedule 1 (items 20 and 21) only of the Public Employment (Consequential and Transitional) Amendment Act 1999, subsections 2(1) and (2) of which provide as follows:

                 (1)   In this Act, commencing time means the time when the Public Service Act 1999 commences.

                 (2)   Subject to this section, this Act commences at the commencing time.

(c)     The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 was amended by Schedule 1 (items 1‑11) only of the Environment and Heritage Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001, subsection 2(1)(c) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to this section, this Act commences on the latest of the following days:

                              (c)   the day on which item 15 of Schedule 1 to the Criminal Code Amendment (Theft, Fraud, Bribery and Related Offences) Act 2000 commences.

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended     rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Title......................................	am. No. 83, 1986
Part I
S. 1......................................	am. No. 83, 1986
S. 6A...................................	ad. No. 15, 2001
S. 7......................................	am. No. 39, 1987; No. 43, 1996; No. 15, 2001; No. 152, 2006
S. 8A...................................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	rep. No. 152, 2006
Part II
Division 1
Ss. 9, 10..............................	am. No. 43, 1996; No. 152, 2006
S. 12....................................	am. No. 43, 1996; No. 152, 2006
S. 13....................................	am. No. 43, 1996
S. 14....................................	am. No. 152, 2006
S. 15....................................	am. No. 99, 1988
	rep. No. 152, 2006
S. 16....................................	am. No. 43, 1996
Division 2
S. 17....................................	am. No. 43, 1996
S. 18....................................	am. No. 152, 2006; No. 73, 2008
S. 19....................................	am. No. 43, 1996
Division 3
Ss. 20, 21............................	am. No. 39, 1987; No. 43, 1996; No. 152, 2006
Part IIA ................................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	rep. No. 152, 2006
S. 21A.................................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	rep. No. 152, 2006
S. 21B.................................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	am. No. 150, 1989; No. 32, 2005
	rep. No. 152, 2006
Ss. 21C-21E.......................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	rep. No. 152, 2006
S. 21EA...............................	ad. No. 152, 2006
	rep. No. 152, 2006
S. 21F..................................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	rep. No. 152, 2006
S. 21G.................................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	am. No. 15, 2001
	rep. No. 152, 2006
S. 21H.................................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	rs. No. 15, 2001
	rep. No. 152, 2006
Ss. 21J-21N........................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	rep. No. 152, 2006
Ss. 21P, 21Q.......................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	rep. No. 152, 2006
Ss. 21R-21T.......................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	rep. No. 152, 2006
S. 21U.................................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	am. No. 15, 2001
	rep. No. 152, 2006
Ss. 21V-21X.......................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	rep. No. 152, 2006
S. 21Y.................................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	am. No. 15, 2001
	rep. No. 152, 2006
S. 21Z.................................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	rep. No. 152, 2006
S. 21ZA...............................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	rep. No. 152, 2006
Part III
S. 22....................................	am. No. 15, 2001
S. 23....................................	am. No. 15, 2001
Ss. 25-28............................	am. No. 39, 1987; No. 152, 2006
S. 30....................................	am. No. 39, 1987; No. 43, 1996; 146, 1999; No. 152, 2006
Part IV
S. 31....................................	am. No. 39, 1987; No. 43, 1996; No. 152, 2006
S. 33....................................	rep. No. 83, 1986
Schedule.............................	ad. No. 39, 1987
	am. Statutory Rules 1987 No. 153; 1989 No. 420; 1992 No. 121; 1994 No. 28
	rep. No. 152, 2006

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Environment and Heritage Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001 (No. 15, 2001)

4  Application of amendments

             (1)  Each amendment made by this Act applies to acts and omissions that take place after the amendment commences.

             (2)  For the purposes of this section, if an act or omission is alleged to have taken place between 2 dates, one before and one on or after the day on which a particular amendment commences, the act or omission is alleged to have taken place before the amendment commences.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Amendment Act 2005
(No. 32, 2005)

Schedule 4

2  Saving provision

Despite the amendment of section 21B of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, any delegation by the Minister to an officer of the Department that was in force under that section immediately before the day Schedules 1 and 2 to this Act commence continues in force on and after that day as if it were a delegation made by the Minister under that section as amended by this Act.